


Lone Wolf

by morganaDW (morgana07)



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alpha Jensen, Alpha/Omega, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Bottom Jared, First Meetings, First Time, Hurt Jared Padalecki, Knotting, M/M, Omega Jared, Past Child Abuse, Protective Jensen, Reverse Big Bang Challenge, Supernatural Reverse Big Bang Challenge 2014, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Top Jensen Ackles, Triggers, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-21
Updated: 2015-01-21
Packaged: 2018-03-08 12:49:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 72,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3209771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgana07/pseuds/morganaDW
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lone Wolf. Exile. Outsider. Alpha. Jensen Ackles had been called all of these since walking away from his pack years ago. Since leaving, he kept to himself but couldn’t shake his childhood dreams of big eyes and strange symbols. These images continued to haunt him and eventually drew him back to his home state.<br/>Jared Padalecki grew up dreaming of a silver wolf; he somehow knew it was ‘his’ wolf, his Alpha, but he grew up isolated and alone, believing he would never find this wolf. Raised by cruel grandparents to fear and hide a side of himself he knew nothing about, he struggled to remain unmated even though that was unheard of for an Omega.<br/>When a night of terror leads to a fateful encounter between Alpha and Omega, it isn’t long before Jensen realizes what he’s found and how much Jared will change his life. Can their relationship survive when Jensen’s past comes back to haunt him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author note: This is my entry to the 2014 Reverse Big Bang challenge over on LJ. The wonderful art prompt as well as the chapter banners for this piece which is actually my first go at both a werewolf piece or the whole Alpha/omega dynamic came from Inanna-Maat. There is two cases of knotting but in my opinion it's minor but I'll put it out there for those who might not be into it that much. I hope those who read it enjoy it.
> 
> Warnings: Language, explicit content for violence, sexual content. Includes mention of past child abuse. I’ll also warn for some non-con situations but nothing graphic. This is also an Alpha/omega style fic and will include some knotting (two scenes I believe). There is also mention of Mpreg but nothing shown. 
> 
> Beta'd By; Cappy712 and Jenjoremy
> 
> Disclaimer: Art is by Inanna-Maat and story is prompted by her art. Story is from my brain which is all I claim.

[ ](https://imgbb.com/)

**Lone Wolf**

**Chapter One**

**[](https://imgbb.com/)**

“‘ _What am I_?’”

“‘ _You’re mine_.’”

“‘ _But why would you want me? I’m not like you_.’”

“‘ _You are like me in the ways that count, sweetheart. As for the rest, I want you because you’re meant to be mine. You are mine, I am yours, and nothing will ever separate us again_.’”

The dreams were always the same; they had been since Jensen Ackles had been eight years old. At first he didn’t fully understand them because the words as well as the depth of emotion that came with them were far too advanced for his child’s brain to understand.

As he got older though, when he could no longer hide his dreams from his parents or his pack, Jensen began to understand that while everyone told him that they were merely dreams, they were actually far more than that. By the time he was 12, he knew that the dreams, which had continued to progress from simple words to more vivid images and feelings, were supposed to lead him to someone very important.

By the time Jensen was 14 though, the dreams began to get more intense, and, at times, even a little frightening. The feelings he would wake up with were terrifying, often painful, and he would wake up in a cold sweat, with vivid images in his head that wouldn’t leave him until he grabbed a notebook and used his meager drawing skills to get them onto paper.

He wasn’t certain what the symbols were or why he was seeing them. He didn’t know whose body they were being painfully scrawled on, but he knew in his heart that these images, these symbols, along with glimpses of deep dark eyes flecked with blues and golds and soft dark hair would one day complete him.

For 24 years Jensen had been having these dreams, hearing the same soft voice, catching glimpses of a shy, dimpled smile, and seeing the symbols that confused him. For the last 15 years, however, he had tried to ignore the dreams and deny the emotions that always followed them. He had found himself instead following a darker path and while the dreams never completely stopped, they had a hard time getting through his own rage and often uncontrollable Alpha emotions. And then last year something changed. He woke up seeing those same damn eyes only now they were filled with tears. That voice, deeper now, was screaming in confused pain. Jensen sat up in bed, fully awake, and knew it was time to find those eyes, that voice, and those odd symbols.

That was how the 32 year old 6’1” leanly built Alpha ended up stepping out of his Jeep in front of a bar in Cody, Wyoming one night. The cool November air reminded him that Wyoming was not like California or Texas or Florida or any state that he’d been to in the 15 years since he’d left this one.

Returning to Wyoming was not his first choice. He’d sworn to never step foot in this state again after he’d basically been forced out of his pack in exile. The wolf in Jensen could sense his tension at being back even though his home, the land his pack still resided on, was almost 100 miles away from Cody. It was still too close for Jensen, but with every damn dream lately, every damn time he saw those eyes and those symbols, he would wake up almost smelling a scent that the Alpha in him knew he needed to find. And somehow Jensen knew that he would find that scent in Wyoming, back home so to speak.

Flipping the collar of his black leather jacket up to ward off the cold burst of air, Jensen ran his fingers back through short dark blond hair. Sharp green eyes looked around, taking in the details of his location as he’d learned to do years ago when it became obvious that despite the fact that werewolves and humans existed side by side, and no one could tell just by looking at him that he was a wolf, he still seemed to attract the wrong kind of attention; of course that might have been because for several years he was well known for fighting or brawling whenever the chance was presented.

Losing his pack, his family, and his home at 17, choosing exile over the rule of an Alpha he didn’t respect, Jensen knew he’d chosen his fate but it still pissed him off how it had happened and what it had ultimately cost him.

“Water under the bridge, Ackles,” he reminded himself, sighing in disgust that he was once again dwelling on those thoughts when he’d decided a long time ago to start fresh.

Even before he’d been exiled, he had been a free spirit who didn’t like all the pack rules, but he had followed them because he’d respected the then pack Alpha. When the leadership of the pack had changed, Jensen had chosen exile and the label of lone wolf over being ruled by an Alpha who cared more about his own status than the good of the pack. Jensen had almost convinced himself that he’d long since given up caring for others.

He lived as if he cared only about himself and that was the way he liked it even if it often left him feeling cold and uncompleted. He’d also given up trying to find his mate, the wolf that he’d been raised to believe was destined to be his, the one that these dreams were supposed to be leading him to.

That had finally changed and now Jensen was determined to track down the source of the images, the sometimes overwhelming emotions, and the symbols. The symbols were unlike anything he’d ever seen, and he’d finally tried to learn more about them, but he only confused himself more. According to old lore, they were part of a spell, something meant to bind the wearer of the symbols.

Jenson still considered himself a lone wolf and lone wolfs didn’t mate; they had no interest in settling down or starting a pack of their own. They fucked when they wanted, they knotted whom they chose, and they moved on without strings or attachments. That was how Jensen had been living his life since the age of 17, uncomplicated and unattached. He had become accustomed to living this way and couldn’t imagine changing it. He thought he would learn what Wyoming held for him, catch a glimpse of the source of his dreams, and then move on without anyone being the wiser that he was back in the state of his birth.

That night he decided he wanted alcohol, sex, and then more alcohol to numb the feelings that had been making him on edge since he crossed the border into the state. The wolf in him was on edge as if scenting danger but the Alpha in him, the side of him that he’d been battling more for control the last couple months, was pawing to get out and claim, but that was not something Jensen was willing to do…yet.

However as he stepped into the crowded, badly lit, too loud bar, and the scents and sounds hit him, both wolf and Alpha immediately knew he’d found what he’d been searching for. The source of his dreams was here…somewhere.

Stepping up to the bar to motion for a beer and a shot, Jensen’s eyes roamed the bar; he could easily tell the difference between humans and wolves, just as he knew those wolves would be scenting him and hopefully using common sense and avoiding him.

He noticed the strippers on the stage and was about to pull up a seat to enjoy the show when his sensitive ears picked up on something happening on the other side of the packed and crowded bar and dance floor. He stood and looked around, trying to find the source of the trouble. “Son of a bitch.”

“Hey, baby! Come over here!”

“Damn! You look better than those skanks on the stage, honey. Bet you’d look even better with a few less layers on!”

“Come sit on my lap and show us how good an Omega you can be since you smell so damn hot.”

“Pretty little Omegas like you shouldn’t be here. If I was your Alpha, I’d show you where you should be.”

“Yeah, well you’re not my Alpha so get your paws off me and tell your pals to do the same!”

The loud, crude male voices were clearly Alphas while the other voice, a younger male, was definitely an Omega, an Omega who clearly was in over his head and didn’t understand the pecking order. Jensen knew that most Alphas held to the old beliefs that Omegas should be obedient and silent unless spoken to.

An Omega, especially a young man, alone in a crowded bar filled with over compensating jackasses was asking for trouble, and as Jensen continued to turn slowly, trying to find the Omega in question, he picked up on some other things that piqued his interest before something else hit him.

He’d been around plenty of Omegas in his life. It seemed like you couldn’t take a step without seeing one; they were more common these days than Betas. While most of the ones Jensen had come across were only too willing to turn their asses up for a knot, he knew that not all of them were that way. Something about the scent of this one, the soft spoken young Omega who, he realized, was even now trying to escape the crowds by heading for back door, had his nerves prickling in a way that had never happened to him before.

Jensen tossed back his shot and gave a final look to the stage before heading towards the table in the back, a table full of sneering and laughing Alphas. He could see their lifted lips, part smirk and part warning to stay away. He shook his head, telling himself he wasn’t going to get involved. He was just curious, curious about the Omega and the way his own emotions had started to stretch beyond his already thin control.

The attention he was drawing wasn’t obvious to the young Omega in question who was currently struggling to push his way toward the back door. He knew he’d never make it to the front given the way some of the cowboys in the bar were starting to look and act; they looked like they’d sooner join in than help him.

“Goddamn Mike. This is the last time I trust him,” Jared Padalecki grumbled under his breath, nearly choking on the smell of Alpha. He now realized he’d been set up, that his so called friend hadn’t sent him to a Beta bar but a bar that catered to Alphas, and not just human Alphas, but Alpha wolves as well.

It was that realization that had told the 6’4” Omega that he needed to get the hell out of there and fast because while human Alphas were arrogant and demanding enough, it always seemed worse when the Alpha was a wolf because there was just something about Jared that seemed to bring out the worst in those types.

Jared wished just once he could be treated like he was normal and not just an Omega. He knew that was why Mike had lied to him and sent him here, because Mike was an Alpha and Jared had refused his knot when they had first met. Jared knew he was supposed to be flattered if an Alpha paid attention to him but Jared wasn’t by any means; he knew what Alphas wanted with him and mating for life wasn’t it.

At 24 years old, he’d been bounced around between family members for the past 12 years. His mother had died when Jared was four, and he’d initially been taken by his maternal grandparents; there really hadn’t been another option since he’d never even met his father or that side of his family.

The shy, bright, young Omega had tried to grow up normally, but it was difficult since he was basically shunned or mocked because of a mistake his mother had made. Jared hated that he was different, and when it became clear that he wasn’t a Beta but an Omega, that had been the last straw for his grandmother. She’d basically given up on him and tried to sell him to the first Alpha she could find, wanting someone, anyone, to take her disappointment of a freak grandson off her hands.

Jared had been 12 when that happened, and he had run away. It hadn’t been his smartest decision since he hadn’t made it far before he was nearly caught and raped by a gang of teenagers who were lured by his Omega scent. Fortunately, he had been rescued by a well-meaning cop and returned to his grandparents.

His grandmother didn’t really want him back, and so he moved from relative to relative until he was old enough to get out, to try to make his own way in an Alpha dominated world. He knew it wouldn’t be easy since he had a hard time making friends due to trust issues and something else that really marked him a freak.

The strange symbols and tattoos that littered his back, shoulders and stomach were things Jared had learned to accept. He didn’t understand now any more than he had as a child why his grandmother had insisted on scarring him or marking him. All the young omega knew was that whenever anyone saw the symbols they began to treat him weird or just stopped talking to him.

He’d lost friends all through his grade school years, middle school, and high school over the symbols. The moment anyone saw the marks he began to be treated like a pariah. In the case of college it had gotten even worse; he was kicked out of the dorms and given some lame excuse, but Jared knew the truth. His eviction had happened only days after his roommate had seen the symbols while he was changing his shirt. He had subsequently dropped out of college and hit the road.

Now it was just a matter of finding a place that felt like home to him. It wasn’t Oklahoma anymore and nothing on the East Coast had felt right, so he’d driven until his junk car had given up on him two months ago, 50 miles outside of Cody.

He’d walked until he had been picked up by a friendly Beta who took pity on the broke, in more than one way, Omega. She’d given him a room in her home, a job waiting tables in her diner, and advice on who in town to avoid. Jared was grateful for her help as he waited to see if his car could be fixed. Otherwise, he was stuck in Cody until he could earn enough in tips to buy another used piece of crap since Wyoming hadn’t felt like home to Jared either…especially since the other night.

Jared had spent the other night locked in his bedroom with a dresser in front of the door out of fear of his nice friendly Beta landlady’s overly aggressive Alpha son. He’d decided that he wanted a fast knot and apparently the Omega in the spare room would suit.

As the Alpha had repeatedly thrown his weight against the door, the terror had built until Jared was nearly sobbing. He realized that everyone, even the few friends he’d made here, were right. He was just a stupid Omega, and that meant his purpose was to give an Alpha, any Alpha, pleasure…but Jared had been brought up on his mother’s fairy tales, believing that just the right Alpha was out there, searching for him, and he should wait to meet that one before letting himself be knotted.

His mother’s stories were tales of a woman who had given herself to her true love, Jared’s father, in the hopes of finding just that kind of love only to be sent away by his family because of who she was. She had never again looked for true love, but she had held out hope that someday her son would find what she had not. Jared had also wanted this, but now he was losing hope of ever finding that special mate, especially since recently it seemed like his heats were getting stronger and harder to suppress with pills. The dreams he’d coped with since he was a baby were coming back stronger too.

Jared had hidden his dreams from his too religious, anti-Omega, anti-wolf, family. Only his mother, before her death had known about them. He had explained, as best he could at the age of four, about the flashes of deep green eyes, the glimpses of dark forests and wolves, that somehow always made him feel safe. Growing up, the dreams never scared him. He could hear voices, he always saw those green eyes, but never the face they were a part of; the only living creature in his dreams was a huge silver wolf and while that should’ve terrified him, it didn’t.

When he was small, he had believed that he could talk with, somehow communicate with, the wolf. In the dreams, he and the wolf understood each other perfectly, but it hadn’t been like that in several years, as if something had changed that Jared didn’t understand. In fact, for a long time, the dreams had felt distant, disconnected, and he thought that maybe he was finally outgrowing them. Then suddenly, the other night when he’d been so terrified by the Alpha trying to break into his room, he had suddenly felt something touch his mind; he could almost sense a hand on his face, almost hear a deep, low voice soothing him with promises of safety.

Of course Jared knew it was just wishful thinking, his overactive imagination in a moment of panic. It couldn’t have been a dream since he’d been too scared to even close his eyes during the whole ordeal in case his self-made barricade didn’t last, but the voice had served to calm him and his damn body’s desire to cave in to the Alpha’s demands.

Jared had left the house the very next morning. Since then he had been sleeping on floors of the few friends he had managed to make in Cody, anyplace he could find. He had spent the last two nights with Mike, a seemingly friendly Alpha who cooked at the diner. Mike had propositioned Jared when he first started working at the diner, but he had seemed to take it in stride when Jared had politely declined. It had been Mike who had suggested he go to a Beta bar to blow off steam and possibly get laid without the risk of ending up with a knot in his ass. Jared had accepted the offer; in fact he hadn’t suspected a thing…until he stepped into the bar and realized his mistake. Now he just wanted out.

He’d managed one and a half beers before a bunch of assholes began hassling him with the usual crap. Jared knew he mouthed off, not a typical Omega thing to do, and probably not the smartest choice given his surroundings, so when he began to get dizzy and his chest tightened from too much Alpha scent, he decided to slip out the back door if only to try to clear his head.

Jared had just stepped into a darkened hallway that he hoped led to a back door when a small twinge of pain from one of the larger symbols on his upper back made him stumble a little. He paused to regain his balance before seeing the welcome EXIT sign.

“Thank God,” he muttered, stepping out into the chilly night air. He knew that sleeping outside tonight was going to bite, but he wasn’t going to go anywhere near Mike or else he’d punch the Alpha in his face, and he certainly wasn’t going to go beg for his old room back, so he’d make do someway.

The sudden increased burning on his back, the odd buzzing in his head, as well as a sudden dizziness and odd taste in his mouth, distracted Jared so he wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings. He heard the door close behind him and let out a sigh of relief to be out of there, away from too many Alphas all looking for one thing.

Rubbing a hand over his arms, it took Jared all of two seconds to remember that he’d left his damn jacket inside the bar. He would have to go back for it or else do without his only heavy decent coat. He was in the process of debating whether to risk going back inside the bar or risk freezing when large strong hands suddenly grabbed him by his upper arms and shoved him hard against the wall of the bar.

“What the…mmhm?!” Jared’s reaction time was off but he managed to catch himself before connecting face first with the wall. Before he could turn to fight, something was shoved into his mouth to muffle his shouts for help and a hard body shoved him forward, pinning him against the wall.

“Told ya inside how good you smelled, baby. You shouldn’t have blown me off cause, you know, I might’ve been willing to show ya a good time if you’d been a little nicer to me and my pals, but now? I’m just gonna fuck and knot this hot ass to remind you of your place.”

The gruff, cruel voice growled in the struggling Omega’s ear even as the Alpha was yanking Jared’s arms roughly behind his back. He quickly and tightly tied his wrists together at the small of his back before beginning to rip at his clothes.

“Omegas like you make me sick. You think you’re too good for what you’re meant for. You think you have rights like real people; just cause they made laws that say you do, don’t mean I have to follow them,” he growled, licking his way up a straining neck until he grabbed a handful of dark hair that brushed his frightened victim’s shoulders and jerked it back to expose his neck. “Gonna mark you, baby. Gonna knot this ass and then leave you here for my pals to fuck after my knot goes down.”

Jared’s eyes widened as it sank in what was happening; he could feel rough hands tugging at his shirt while also trying to get his jeans opened. He tried to fight back but found that his attacker was both bigger and stronger than he was; he tried to scream past the rag in his mouth, but a massive fist pounded into his head until he heard himself whimper. He gave up fighting but continued trying to speak around the gag, begging the Alpha not to hurt him, not to rape him, but he felt his stomach rolling as one of those hands got his fly down enough to dive inside his jeans to begin to fondle him while the other hand worked to yank the denim down.

The frightened Omega was stunned, hurt, and cold. He felt sick as realized that his luck at managing to avoid situations like this had finally run out. He didn’t want to be raped; he didn’t want some cruel and faceless Alpha to knot him or mark him. He couldn’t help trying to struggle again only to get shoved hard into the wall.

“Hold the fuck still, slut!” the Alpha growled, working to get his prey’s jeans down while kicking his legs apart. Suddenly there was a crashing sound behind him as the board he’d shoved through the door handle was broken when the door itself exploded outward under a violent kick. The attacker found himself staring into narrowed hot eyes and the local tough guy knew that this was more than just another Alpha seeking a piece of sweet Omega ass. “Back off, wolf. This slut’s been asking for it since he came in tonight, so I’m giving him what he wants.”

The scent of scared, no terrified, Omega overwhelmed the odor of sour garbage as Jensen stepped out the door. In fact, he couldn’t smell anything other than the frightened, struggling boy who was trapped and pinned by the would-be rapist.

Forcing his attention back to the other Alpha, Jensen’s eyes went to slits while his lips curved into a sneer as he let the door close. “Let him go,” he ordered, voice dropping lower than even his usual deep, hard tone as something continued to pull at him. “Let him go and get the hell back inside or I will kick your ass. He’s not yours.”

“He ain’t nobody’s so that means like any Omega, he’s fair game.” The Alpha was big, at least 6’6”, which put him five inches taller than Jensen. He was also broad and had huge hands that were currently wrapped around the panicked boy’s throat to hold him still. “You’re not from around here. You don’t get a say in what happens to random little Omegas who think they can parade around smelling like this one does and not pay a price. So you go away and leave me to my…huh? What are you…argh!!”

A ragged scream was torn from his throat as Jensen moved so quickly that he was a blur, grabbing the hand that was slowly choking the boy, and twisting it until he felt something break. He growled as he jerked the Alpha away from what the wolf inside Jensen had decided was his.

“It’s assholes like you and your buddies inside who give Alphas a bad name, jackass.” Jensen felt his blood boiling, his temper skimming the surface in a way that it hadn’t since he’d been a teenager and looking to fight every chance he got.

Normally Jensen didn’t give a damn about other Alphas or how they treated Omegas, even tending to overlook obviously nonconsensual acts such as this one. He’d learned to mind his own business most of the time, but tonight was different. Tonight it was like the scent, the emotions, and something much deeper had his control wire thin and it snapped when he heard a muffled scared whimper.

“There are plenty of willing Omegas inside that bar looking to fuck so take my advice and go play with one of them; leave this boy alone,” he growled and gave a hard shove that took the other man back toward the bar. He smiled thinly when he caught the rage being aimed his way. “You don’t want to do that, mister.” Jensen read the body language and was prepared when the enraged Alpha lunged at him.

“I’ll take his ass! I ain’t being made a fool of by no uppity little Omega who thinks he can waltz into a bar filled with Alphas and not turn his ass up to us!” The big man was even more furious now that his night of fun had been interrupted. Now he planned to take his fury out on this stranger and then really pound the boy’s ass; he decided he might even drag the kid home for the weekend to use him. “You don’t know who you’re messin’ with, boy! Your kind ain’t welcome here anymore than his is. Fuckin’ wolves should to stay where…ugh!”

Jensen easily dodged the lunge. He was built lean and was agile, so he could’ve avoided the fight but chose not to. “So you’re not just a rabid Alpha with antiquated beliefs, but you’re a racist Alpha jackass with antiquated beliefs that no longer hold sway,” he sneered, catching the man’s arm to twist it behind his back and using a handful of greasy hair to slam his pock mocked face into the door. “I told you not to piss me off. I told you to back off the Omega. And as for me not knowing who I’m messing with? I don’t give a fuck, but you will by the time I’m done.”

The control that he’d been struggling with for weeks was gone as Jensen let go and pummeled the other Alpha into the filthy alley. He deflected the few blows the man managed to throw him and just managed to wrestle control back from his inner wolf before it could do what it wanted.

Slamming the man against the back door of the bar with enough force that something in the door bent, Jensen’s arm went flat against his throat, green eyes glittering dangerously. “I could kill you right now. I could break bones that would never heal right or…I could hurt you so you’d never be able to use your knot again…but I’m feeling generous right now. I’m giving you one more shot to get the hell outta my sight. Don’t ever let me see you or your buddies near this boy again or else I’ll rip your damn throat out,” he snarled, fighting the urge to do that anyway as he gave another shove and stepped back. “Leave.”

The alpha was gasping as he fell back once the arm let up and he stumbled, scrambling to his feet and deciding that he knew when to run. “T-take him then!” he gasped, spitting blood and a few loose teeth out as he bolted for the mouth of the alley. “Ain’t no Omega worth this!”

Jensen usually agreed with that sentiment and he might’ve this time if the scent of this one wasn’t overwhelming him and making the wolf in him go haywire.

A sound from behind him had him turning, sharp eyes easily spotting the shaking, pale-faced Omega who was struggling to get up. He’d apparently fallen in his haste to escape, but ridiculously long legs seemed to be shaking too badly for him to stand, and with his hands still tied behind his back, he couldn’t find a way to pull himself up.

In all his years Jensen had never reacted to an Omega like he was reacting to this one. Whether it was the fear he was scenting or the sweet smell of innocence he wasn’t sure, but whatever it was, the need to scent, to claim was getting harder to ignore; Jensen wasn’t fully aware of his actions as he moved toward the boy.

Jared’s head was aching, his vision was blurry from pain and tears, and he swore his heart was about to beat out of his chest. When he’d heard the second voice, deep, gruff and hard, speak, he thought that perhaps he’d been saved. When the other guy, an Alpha unlike Jared had ever sensed before, jerked his attacker away, he tried to move, to make a break to get away or find help, but his legs had been shaking too much and he’d lost his balance when he tripped over some garbage.

His shirt was shredded, his jeans were open and riding low on his hips, and his hands were still tied behind his back. From his spot on the ground, he’d watched through blurry eyes as the two Alphas fought. He felt something coiling in his belly every time the new guy spoke; why did the guy seem somehow familiar? When the Alpha had turned and locked eyes with him, Jared felt like he’d been punched in the gut by the force of the deep green eyes that seared into his.

The eyes caught the Omega’s attention but before he could do more than make a muffled sound, he was being yanked to his feet. He thought the guy would untie him; he thought he was safe from assault – after all, this Alpha had chased off his attacker. Jared thought he was saved until he found himself pinned once again, this time against a cold metal trash bin at the back of the alley with the Alpha’s hard body pressing against him. Jared started to squirm, to try to make some noise to beg his would-be savior to let him go, but he suddenly froze as he felt warm breath wash over his neck.

“Mmmhm! MMMHH!” Jared tried to scream, helpless under the hard firm body that was bending him over, but what terrified him even more was when his savoir now attacker buried his nose against his neck to sniff him deeply, taking in his scent.

Jared was used to being scented but not like this. In fact, he’d only been scented like this once and that had been by a werewolf in college. Just like that first time, one of the symbols branded on his back started to sear, causing him to squirm in pain rather than in an attempt to escape. The Alpha didn’t know that though, and his fingers tightened on Jared’s shoulder to hold him still.

“Don’t move.” Jensen’s voice had dropped to a low growl as he sniffed the frightened boy, closing his eyes at the scent and also the effect it was having on him. The need to claim was so strong that he wasn’t sure he could fight it; he wasn’t sure he wanted to fight it. “Mine,” he growled against soft skin that he could easily see himself marking with his teeth even while his one hand moved around to lay flat over the skin exposed by the earlier attack. “Mine…”

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Lone Wolf**

**[](https://imgbb.com/) **

**Chapter Two**

“Mine,” Jensen heard himself growl against the neck of the trembling young Omega whom he’d pinned against the trash bin. He licked his lips before settling them against soft skin, wanting to taste just a little, nuzzling and licking the boy’s throat. He was getting ready to bite down and stake his claim, but slowly a muffled little whimper penetrated the fog of out of control Alpha even as the wolf in him was howling to also make this boy his. “Son of a bitch,” he whispered when something tugged at him, something that told him this was right but also very wrong. Every time the young man shifted, his scent filled Jensen’s nostrils and he knew he needed to clear his head. “Hold still!”

The snap of the order froze Jared in place; he’d been trying to strain away from the feel of a very obvious erection pressing against him as the Alpha who had saved him from the attack seemed to be only seconds away from completing the act himself.

Still pinned, gagged, tied, and frightened, the Omega was torn between trying to fight the attack or giving into a sudden powerful need to submit, to let this Alpha have what he’d refused so many others, and that confused him. He’d never felt anything like this before. It was also confusing to Jared when the searing on his back suddenly seemed to ease off under the caress of this Alpha. The symbols had never stopped hurting when he was in the presence of any kind of werewolf, and this Alpha was clearly also a wolf. As he felt calloused fingers move to run along the skin of his stomach, he shuddered and waited for the rest to come.

It startled him when suddenly he began to feel emotions that weren’t his own; he could almost feel an internal struggle that wasn’t his, but before Jared could reason that out, he felt himself pulled upright but still held back against the man behind him.

“I’m going to take the gag out. Don’t make any sounds yet…and for gods sake, don’t move.” Jensen wasn’t sure who was shaking more right then, him or the boy in front of him, but he did know one thing: he knew this scent and realized with a chill why he’d been drawn to Cody, to this damn bar, and to this Omega. It also explained why he was having such a hard time staying in control. This boy, this shaking Omega, this scared kid who he’d come so damn close to forcing himself on was his Omega – his mate.

Jensen hadn’t seen the symbols from his dreams yet, but he’d heard the soft voice and suspected he’d see huge hazel eyes when the boy turned around. It was the scent, however, as well as the rush of emotions he felt that told him this was what had been driving him for the last month or so. This tall, lanky body with floppy dark hair, hair that was currently limp from blood that Jensen could see and smell, was going to be his. Jensen felt a rush of protection sweep over him and hated knowing that the Omega was hurt as well as terrified and confused.

Reaching a hand up to remove the gag, Jensen closed his eyes to settle his breathing and to fight for control of himself. “Shhh, be calm. I’m…I’m not going to hurt you. Just stay still a second,” he urged while fighting to soften his voice back to something closer to normal so he could try to soothe and reassure rather than frighten.

Jensen knew what he and his body wanted. He wanted to leave his mark, to claim this Omega as his own, as his mate, and he would…but it wouldn’t be like this. He refused to let it be by force, in some dirty back alley. He knew in his heart that his Omega needed more, deserved more than this. Now he just had to convince the poor boy he wasn’t just another sex crazy Alpha.

Jared was still shaking, confused about what was happening; he breathed a sigh of relief when the gag was removed, but he followed orders and kept his mouth shut. He wasn’t even sure he could make a sound if he tried given how dry his mouth felt right then.

He’d clamped his eyes shut to keep things from spinning, and now he realized that he wasn’t breathing too well either. He wasn’t sure if it was fear, the foul smells in the alley, or the overpowering scent of Alpha that still hung in the air, but he could hear himself wheezing with each breath. He let himself escape deep into his own mind, trying to calm down and slow his breathing, but he gasped when he felt fingers working the ropes on his wrists to free them and then he also realized the man…wolf…was speaking to him in a quieter voice.

“I’ve almost got you loose, kiddo. Calm down. Everything’s going to be okay. If you’ll let me…if you’ll trust me when I tell you that I’m really not some crazy Alpha just looking to knot you, I’d like to make sure you get home okay…or take you someplace safe so you can warm up…or at the very least, call someone for you.” Jensen kept talking in calm voice while he tried to get the damn knots untied. He kept his arm around the younger man because when he started to let go after getting the gag loose, he had to quickly grab him again when shaky legs nearly folded under him. “Can you…will you tell me your name?” he asked, finally feeling the ropes come free and gently removing the heavy rope from battered and torn wrists. “Shit,” he whispered, able to see the abrasions and smell the blood. It was also then that he realized he could smell something else, something he wasn’t expecting and he took a closer look at the boy in his arms.

Jared was shaking harder now that his arms were loose. The burning pain in his shoulders and down his arms was bad, but before he could make a noise or even think about moving, not that he was sure that his legs were steady enough to hold him yet, he felt strong hands on his shoulders begin to rub and squeeze as if to work out any stiffness.

“…J-Jared,” he finally whispered, voice softer than normal because of his fright and how dry his mouth still was. “My…name…it’s Jared.”

The voice he heard almost seemed familiar to the young Omega, and suddenly he realized that the touch on his arms was familiar as well, as if he’d felt those hands on him before. His back ached, but as if the Alpha sensed the pain before Jared could even react to it, a light touch ran over the small of his back and the pain went away.

The shock was huge, and as the cold seeped into his body from the night air, Jared began to shiver violently. When he was turned around and carefully leaned against the trash bin, he gasped as he found himself face to face with green eyes that took his breath away. “You?”

Jensen had been trying to see if the young man was seriously hurt, but as he noticed the shivering, he shrugged out of his black leather jacket and wrapped it snugly around thin shoulders. When he looked up, he met deep hazel eyes with flecks of blue and gold in them; those eyes were staring at him with an openness that took him by surprise.

Jared was boyishly handsome with bangs that fell in front of his eyes. The young Omega was staring at him in both confusion and surprise as Jensen used his better sight to see the bruises and blood on his face as well as tears glistening on long lashes. He also saw the torn shirt and the open jeans and felt the fast heartbeat; he realized that he hadn’t helped that situation much, but he was relieved to see that the boy was now looking at him with more curiosity than fear.

“Do you know me?” he asked carefully, not giving anything away by his face or voice; he stayed in place, but his ears were picking up sounds that told him he needed to get them out of there soon.

“I…I…know your eyes,” Jared murmured with a frown, shifting his head as he stared at the ruggedly handsome man in front of him whose eyes he’d seen in his dream but never on a human. “I’ve seen your eyes in dreams I’ve had since I was little. I’ve heard your voice…this voice…not like it was earlier but this tone in it too.”

“Huh,” Jensen murmured; he wasn’t expecting to hear that since he honestly hadn’t considered the dreams might be mutual. He guessed he shouldn’t have been surprised since most true mates did have a type of link between them; it was how one recognized the other along with scent. “Well then, how much would it scare you if I told you that I’ve seen those big dark eyes of _yours_ in _my_ dreams? I’ve dreamed of you for a long time, sweetheart. I’d love to talk more about this, but it looks like Big Boy decided to get brave now that his pals are with him. I need to get you out of here.” He sensed the Omega’s fear as he heard the raised voices getting closer. “I know you don’t trust me and maybe you shouldn’t, but right now I’m a lot safer for you than those cowboys.”

Jared was still scared. He wasn’t sure who to trust, but he heard the angry voices, smelled the Alphas approaching, and knew this Alpha was correct. He wasn’t sure exactly why, but he felt safe with this man. “What’s your name?” he asked in a way that meant he’d go with him, trying to pull the jacket tighter around him and kissing his own goodbye when he felt a hand on his back urging him out of the alley.

“Jensen,” came the reply as he supported Jared when he stumbled. He was worried because the boy was still pretty unsteady and began to suspect that someone in the bar had slipped something into his drink to make him more pliable during the other man’s attack.

Under any other circumstances Jensen wouldn’t have been so eager to avoid a fight even when the odds weren’t in his favor, but this night he was more concerned about the frightened Omega who’d already almost been raped as well as battered. His rapidly growing protective side knew it was more important to get him out of the area and figure out what was happening.

The jeep was close so Jensen quickly bundled Jared into the passenger seat, pulled his keys out, and had the jeep started before he caught sight of the group from inside heading for the alley with clubs and bats. “Assholes,” he muttered, flipping the heater on while reaching in the backseat for the blanket he kept there for the nights when he chose to sleep in the jeep rather than a motel. “Here, wrap up in this until I get the jeep warm. Do you have a place I can take you or…” He stopped when he caught a sudden burst of fear; he was surprised at how much he could feel this soon, and then he felt surge of anger at the flashes of thoughts from beside him. The young Omega was still unsure of his intentions. “If I swear not to touch you or even come close to you without your permission, would you let me take you to where I’m staying?” he asked, adding quickly to reassure the wary boy, “Just for tonight or until you can tell me someplace safe for you to go.”

“No where’s safe,” Jared mumbled. Waves of exhaustion were washing over him all of a sudden and he wasn’t sure if it was because his body was slipping into shock from the events of the night or because he was finally getting warm or if something else was going on.

He lifted heavy lids to look next to him. Jared didn’t trust a lot of strangers, especially Alphas, so he wondered why he was willing to trust this one and why they’d been dreaming of one another. He considered asking but then decided he was too tired; he would just have to hope that this Jensen would keep his promise to not hurt him if he fell asleep.

“Shhh, no, little one, I won’t hurt you or touch you while you sleep,” Jensen murmured softly, reaching over with one hand to lightly card his fingers back through soft dark hair that he could feel was sticky with blood and damp from the cold. As Jared turned into the touch with a soft murmur, the Alpha felt something unlock inside him that seemed to have been there for a number of years. “Sleep, sweetheart. I’ll figure out how to explain this…later.”

The idea of explaining to the young Omega, a boy who clearly was trying to survive on his own, that the dreams linked them and trying to tell him what Jensen was would be difficult. However it was the other thing that might be even harder since Jensen was pretty sure that the boy wasn’t aware of it; he honestly couldn’t see how that was possible since even a half wolf would have some traits, but he had definitely scented wolf before and could scent it stronger now. There was no way around it…this young man was at least half wolf.

Usually when he was just passing through an area, Jensen would grab a room in the most convenient motel, but for some reason when he got back to Wyoming, he’d felt the need for something more than just a small room in some cheap motel; instead, he’d called up one of the few friends he did still have in the area. Now he was glad he had because what he needed to do now would require patience, warmth, security and privacy. He just hoped the Omega would be able to understand…and maybe even explain why Jensen still could see those odd symbols.

The crackling sound of a fire, and the welcome, almost blissful, feel of warmth woke Jared up. At first he was confused because he was almost never warm when he first woke up or even partially relaxed; it took him a moment or two to let his brain wake up enough to recall the events of the prior evening. Then he tensed.

Rubbing the grit out of his eyes to pry them open, Jared looked around to see that he was in a large bed, covered in blankets that added to his warmth in what appeared to be a type of cabin.

Jared’s head hurt and his body was sore, but he noticed the abrasions on his wrists had been cleaned and bandaged, as had the bruises on his face and head. He noticed that while his boots had been removed, the rest of his clothes had been basically left alone as if his host…Jensen…hadn’t wanted to remove them and alarm him more than he had been already.

Sitting up and letting his blurry vision settle along with his stomach, Jared noticed there were clean clothes on the chair beside the bed along with a note.

‘ _Jared, I’ll be close but I just didn’t want you to wake up and be scared of a strange guy watching you sleep. Jensen_.’

Jared took a few moments to strip off his torn and dirty clothes from the night before, thankful that Jensen had left clean clothing for him. The shirt was a little tight and the sweatpants were a little too short, but both were warm, so Jared was grateful for that. He wasn’t certain where Jensen was so he stood on weak legs, splashed water on his face in the bathroom attached to the bedroom, and slowly went to find his host. He chose to leave his boots off since the cabin floor was warm and Jared’s thick socks would cushion the wood of the floor.

The cabin was actually bigger than the young Omega first thought. The bedroom he found himself in was actually most of the loft like second floor with steps going to the first floor. Jared’s hand shook a little when he ran it over the smooth, glossy wood of the railing.

Jared hadn’t seen a cabin like this before, certainly not one as big or as fancy looking. He took in the large stone fireplace along one wall in which a fire was currently roaring, supplying heat to the large open space that was a living room, dining room and kitchen.

“H-hello?” he called, throat still feeling like sandpaper. He looked around to see a sliding door that led to a patio, showing Jared that he wasn’t in the city any longer because he could see woods that were thick, heavy and beautiful. They almost seemed to call to him in a way that nothing had his whole life.

Ever since Jared had been small he’d had a love of woods and trees. He hated cities and had often begged his mother before she passed away to move someplace with huge trees he could climb and woods he could play in. She’d actually been in the process of looking into that when sadly she was killed and Jared’s life turned dark when his mother’s parents took over his care.

It had been Wyoming’s abundance of trees, national parks and wildlife that had brought Jared there along with the odd sensation that this is where he needed to be. If he’d been dressed warmer, he might’ve stepped out onto the deck, but he hated to lose the warmth of the cabin. Then something in the distance had him pressing his face up to the glass to squint, gasping as he found himself locked in the gaze of what looked like a huge silver wolf, the wolf he’d grown up seeing in his dreams.

Jared had always thought his dreams were just that: dreams; the dreams of a lonely child who was seeking the comfort he was unable to find from his so-called family. Now though he was wondering if they weren’t more as he moved back from the door to curl on the sofa near the fire.

‘ _You’re frightened_.’

The words were loud, almost like they were spoken inside the cabin but Jared knew he was alone. He realized what he’d heard was in his head and also realized it was familiar, like when he’d hear the voice in his dreams. The tone was kind, the voice deep with just a hint of drawl.

“I’m not sleeping.” Jared spoke the words out loud, hearing his own voice echo in the cabin’s open space. “I’m not dreaming this so I shouldn’t be hearing anything in my head.”

‘ _But you are…which is also a surprise to me since most bonds between mates don’t connect this fast. Do you know who I am, Jared_?’

The question confused him more until he seemed to think it through. “Jensen,” he whispered, looking up when he heard a soft howl in the distance. “You’re a wolf, aren’t you? My silver wolf from my dreams?”

‘ _Yes, I’m a wolf…and so are you_.’ He hadn’t planned to reveal that bit of news so quickly but Jensen was still stunned that the boy inside the cabin could pick up his thoughts this easily.

Last night, Jensen had driven them two hours out of Cody to where his oldest friend had built a cabin on the fringe of the national park. He’d wanted to give Jared peace and safety and had a hunch the woods would soothe the young man.

He’d let the kid sleep when they arrived and had easily carried his mate into the cabin. The boy’s 6’4” frame was far too lean for Jensen’s liking; he doubted that the Omega was eating regular meals and he felt his wolf’s protective side flare up. He’d carried the young man to the master bedroom on the second floor and placed him gently on the bed. Jensen cleaned the wounds he could see but left the torn shirt in place despite his fingers itching to see what kept making Jared restlessly reach for his back. Instead, Jensen just placed hand on his shoulder, and seemed to calm him back to a deep sleep.

By the time dawn was breaking, Jensen’s nerves were strung tight. The scent of Jared was making it difficult to control both Alpha and wolf so he laid out a shirt and some sweatpants he thought would fit the boy, wrote out a note to reassure him when he woke that he wasn’t alone, and then got out of the cabin to run in the woods.

Although most werewolf myths said his kind needed a full moon to turn, Jensen knew that was only true for first turns. After that, after the wolf got control of the change, he or she could shift anytime, day or night. He shifted now because his wolf was frustrated at not being able to claim his mate. The run through the cold pre-dawn air helped to clear his head but still left him close enough that Jensen felt the moment when it was time to return.

It was odd for him to feel someone’s emotions, thoughts, and needs as strongly as he could Jared’s. He’d always been told the bond between true mates wouldn’t fully form until the claiming, but yet what he felt from and for Jared was already surprisingly strong.

Jensen had just cleared the tree line when he felt eyes on him so he wasn’t surprised when he looked up and saw Jared in the patio door. He knew that while Jared hadn’t accepted the full situation yet, he recognized his wolf form because he’d seen it in dreams. That was another tidbit of information that Jensen filed away for later pondering.

He neared the cabin but chose to enter as a man and not the wolf when he felt the way Jared’s thoughts got uneasy, almost terrified, at his mention of him also being a wolf.

“N…no, I’m not. That’s not true. I’m not a wolf…I can’t be cause…” Jared was shaking even more when his head shot up at the sound of the heavy oak front door opening. He locked eyes with Jensen, fear showing but also confusion. “How…how would you know if I was…was…that?”

“Because like recognizes like, sweetheart.” He closed the door and ran his fingers through his hair to rid it of the light dusting of dew. “Most wolves can sense another…even a halfblooded wolf like you. Though there is something…off with the scent that I can’t place yet. You know what you are don’t you, Jared?” Jensen asked curiously, moving to the kitchen to pour himself coffee and a glass of orange juice for Jared.

The young man’s thoughts intrigued the lone wolf because it seemed like while Jared did know, or at least suspect, that he was part wolf, he was also fighting the possibility out of some misguided belief that it made him evil.

“Wait…who told you that being a wolf would make you evil Jared?” Jensen asked, sitting on the wooden coffee table in front of the sofa so Jared wouldn’t feel boxed in. “Jared? Did you know that you were part wolf?”

“Momma…Momma told me I was,” Jared whispered, never admitting that to anyone before because he’d been told to never speak of his mother’s unforgivable sin to anyone. “Momma…she…met someone and…”

Jensen let the boy speak at his own speed but at the same time, he was also picking up the story from the broken images inside the confused boy’s head. He realized with some anger that Jared hadn’t just been told his father was a wolf but also that his mother was a whore and his very existence was a sin in God’s eye because of her transgressions.

“Your father’s a wolf.” He saw a jerky little nod while watching Jared’s hands shake as he tried to drink without spilling the juice. “Did your Mom say who he was or why he didn’t stay with you?” He knew that a wolf would never allow his mate, much less one with a child, to leave unless he was killed or something else very extreme happened. “Where is your Mom, Jared?”

He asked this because most of Jared’s thoughts about his mother were from a small child’s point of view and those seemed to stop when he was about four years old. Then his memories as well as his beliefs began to get darker and also harder to bring into focus; it was as if Jared was more scared of who’d filled his head with lies than the possibility that he was part wolf.

“Momma died when I was little.” Jared stared into his glass of juice, trying not to drink too fast, but his throat was so dry it was hard. He glanced up to see gentle green eyes watching him. “Momma loved me. She said he…my father…loved us but…they made her leave and when she died they said I was their burden and…”

“Who said that to you? And who made her leave?” Jensen wasn’t sure he liked how this was shaping up. As Jared continued talking, he once again noticed the way the boy would sometimes shift as if in pain.

“Grandparents.” Jared winced as his back burned again, but as it had been since meeting Jensen, the pain eased the moment the Alpha’s hand touched him. “They came to where we lived I think with…my Dad. He was gone cause Momma said he worked to support his family, and they…they made her leave with them. They didn’t want me to come, but she wouldn’t leave me…even though she told her to. She…my grandmother…she hated me then and still hates me.” He reached out quickly to grab the hand that had been on his arm when it began to move away; he needed to keep that feeling of warmth and security even though everything with Jensen made him feel different than he ever had.

“It was them…my grandparents…who told me not to tell anyone I was part wolf cause it was evil and wrong. She…she’s the one who said the marks would keep wolves from ever knowing me or keep me from turning into…” He looked up suddenly. “You…you’re a wolf. I saw the same silver wolf outside as I’ve seen in my dreams so…you can shift.”

Jensen smiled, allowing his hand to be held as he moved cautiously to the edge of the sofa when it looked like Jared wasn’t getting freaked out too much so far from this. “All wolves can shift, Jared,” he told him, and then chose to add carefully. “Even wolves like you with only one wolf in your bloodline.”

“I thought…I mean…I thought werewolves only turned on full moons or…” Jared blushed and started to drop his chin, but a hand caught it and forced him to look back up. The boy was stunned at how much he felt from the Alpha beside him, and by how much he suddenly wanted to curl against him, something that Jared had never once wanted or felt like doing…even when ordered to. “Sorry. Grandma said I was stupid and wrong from being…”

“Okay, so don’t take this the wrong way, but right now I’m not too fond of your grandparents…on either side. Your Dad’s family, his pack, should’ve fought like hell to keep his family safe…but that’s in the past and not vital at the moment.” Jensen would find out more about Jared’s family and his early life later; he would try to discover who his father might’ve been when he had the chance. Right then he wanted to quickly nip one thing in the bud. “You’re not stupid, sweetheart, and you’re certainly not wrong or evil.” His lips curved more as he went on with a chuckle. “You’re young and you’re also very brave because most Omegas don’t speak to Alphas like you did in that bar. Why were you there alone in the first place? You do know how badly that could’ve turned out, right?”

Jared did. He also knew how lucky he’d been that Jensen had been there and made a note to thank him for that later. “My so-called ‘friend’ lied to me. He said it was a beta bar…and since I’d been so on edge these past few weeks that going to get laid might help without having to risk Alphas wanting to knot me but…he lied. I kept turning him down. He knew what would happen cause he knows I’ve been fighting to not be claimed until I met my…” He suddenly stopped to look up. “You said I…was yours. Did you mean that as in really yours or was that just the Alpha talking?”

“No, I meant that as in you are mine.” Jensen knew now he needed to handle this carefully; Jared wouldn’t understand fully about being mates or anything else since this was a young man, a young Omega, who had been raised to fear what he was.

Knowing this explained the doubts and fears that he’d often felt in his dreams but still not the damn images of symbols or tattoos or the one odd thing in Jared’s scent that Jensen couldn’t explain yet.

“For years I’ve dreamed of your eyes,” he began slowly, moving gradually to sit a little closer while running a gentle finger over a bruise on a still pale face. “It’s your voice I’ve heard since I was a pup…and I’ve been searching for you for a long time.”

Jensen noticed the soft pink blush that touched Jared’s cheeks at that, adoring his mate even more. He was frustrated that his destined mate was a naïve, scared half-wolf who’d been told he was a sin. He caught the flinch of pain and the way Jared shifted so his back didn’t touch the sofa. “Jared…would you show me what’s on your back that keeps hurting you?” he asked gently, recalling something his mate had said about his grandmother and marks that would keep other wolves from scenting him and keep him from…what? Turning?

Jared paused, chewing his bottom lip as if afraid. “If I show you…you’ll hate me or…leave,” he murmured, fearing that most of all after how everyone else had reacted upon seeing his body. “It’s…not just my back. She…she put them on my chest and stomach too…but the ones on my back and my shoulders usually hurt the most, especially if I’m around a werewolf.”

“Your back…these marks hurt you when around werewolves?” Jensen frowned at that and the jerky nod, holding the hand in his tighter as he sensed fear and shame. “She _put_ them on you? To do what? Keep you safe or…”

“Safe?” Jared almost laughed at that, bitterness showing. “My grandparents couldn’t have cared less if I was safe, Jensen. To them I was a shameful sin of my mother’s. They kept me when she died, didn’t try to give me back to my father because they learned the government or someone would pay them for caring for me. The state just never bothered to check back to learn how much of that ‘care’ was abuse and when I came out as an Omega it got worse.

“I ran, was dragged back and then just got shuttled between family members until I was 18. Then I was tossed out on my own without anything, not even a picture of my Mom or the one family photo she had of me, her and my Dad.” He felt his eyes burning and reached up to slash at his tearing eyes. “I used to think my dreams were because I was scared and lonely. I never believed you were real…even though I wanted you to be real because when I dreamed about you, I felt safe. The other night I was so scared because the lady I was renting a room from, her son tried to force me to fuck him…and when I said no, he tried to break down the door of my room. I was scared and nearly gave in but then…I heard you.”

Jensen’s breath caught because he recalled the terror he’d felt even though he’d been asleep; it had been one of the first times in several months that he had felt the dreams vividly again, and he had reached out to touch the big eyed boy through the dream. He also made a mental note to get a name because he planned to pay that asshole a visit.

But he realized that he needed to take one thing at a time and that meant focusing on the important thing right then, the boy beside him. “Okay, I’m gonna take care of him and the prick who sent you to that bar later but…would you let me see one of these marks, Jared?” he asked again, sensing the young Omega’s hesitance. “I swear that I will not leave you or get angry with you. I might get angry with whoever put ‘em on you or hurt you, but I won’t be mad _at_ you.”

“Promise?” Jared knew what promises meant. He’d had them broken most of his life but something in the deep eyes watching him said that Jensen’s might be different.

“Jared…I promise on whatever bond is forming between us that I will never lie to you.” Jensen slid his hands up to lightly cup Jared’s face between them, watching big eyes stare at him with an innocence that he couldn’t recall having since he was a small pup. “Mates, true mates, don’t lie to one another. We’re linked on levels that go beyond Alpha or Omega. I would die for you.

“I know you have no reason to trust or believe me this soon, especially after what I almost did in that alley, but if you’re willing to give me a chance, I will prove my loyalty to you…my love for you. And while it might be hard as hell for me given that just being close to you sends both my wolf and Alpha to the edge, I will give _you_ time to get used to me as man, wolf, and Alpha.” He could see the change in Jared when he said this, understanding how much this boy had been hurt. He knew it might take a long time to earn that trust but so far, he was just glad the boy was letting him touch him like this.

Jared closed his eyes, letting himself slowly accept the feel of gentle hands touching him as well as the feelings he felt from this Alpha…his Alpha. It was then that something seemed to click and Jared began to wonder if the sudden need to submit, to give in to the security Jensen appeared to be offering was due to this link between mates.

“You…love me?” he whispered quietly. “How can you love me when we just met?”

“Sweetheart, I’ve loved you since I first dreamed of you.” Jensen brushed his thumb over a bruise, feeling the inner struggle going on inside Jared, accepting that he’d never been told how things might be when meeting his mate. “I know you’re confused, Jared. I know this all might be scary given you’ve obviously never been told much about being an Omega or being a wolf or even being yourself. We’ll take it slow. I’ll answer what I can and if there’s anything I can’t, then we’ll go to someone who can answer your questions. Okay?”

“Yeah.” Jared nodded while biting his lip. “You…still want to see my back?” he asked, moving his fingers hesitantly over the shirt he wore. “They don’t seem to hurt as much as they should with you.”

“If you feel comfortable showing me, then yeah, I’d like to see it.” Jensen was surprised the Alpha in him wasn’t acting up more at the thought of Jared taking off his shirt, but right then he felt more protective than possessive. He also really wanted to see these marks so he held his breath as his mate tried to decide if he would show him. “You don’t have to if you…holy shit.”

Jensen wasn’t sure what to expect or what he might see as Jared slowly removed the shirt while turning slightly to show his back and shoulders. He immediately recognized the symbols that he’d seen in his dreams, symbols that had driven him to find this boy.

Jared had tensed at the low voice, feeling the surge of anger from behind him, but that was all that happened for several seconds. Finally he felt a light touch of a finger tracing a symbol his back and he jerked on instinct, expecting pain.

“Shhh, it’s okay, Jared. I’m not going to hurt you.” Jensen had shoved down on his rage as he saw the symbols he’d seen in the dreams marked all over Jared’s back, his shoulders, and he suspected elsewhere as well, but didn’t want to push things too fast. “How old were you when this started?”

“Three,” Jared whispered, tears dropping in shame and memory of the pain along with the embarrassment of letting Jensen see. “Momma…Momma tried to stop it but…they…they…I’m sorry, Jensen.” He began to shake like he hadn’t in years but stilled at the feel of fingers stroking across his shoulder.

“For what?” Jensen asked while his eyes roamed the many deep elaborate tattoos and symbols that covered his mate. Most looked like they’d been either burned or carved into his flesh. They were exactly like the symbols in his dreams but so much worse because Jensen feared now he knew what they were and what they were supposed to do.

“Being ugly.” Jared was struggling against the urge to hide, to run, but he forced himself to stay still ad deal with the outcome of letting Jensen see them. “Do you want to see the rest?” He turned enough that the ones on his chest and stomach were also visible and saw the flash of emotion as well as felt it. “I’m…”

Jensen laid a finger over soft lips to stop the stuttering apology. “Don’t apologize, Jared. You have nothing to be sorry for. You never asked for this to be done. It shouldn’t have been done, and _I’m_ sorry people were so cruel and ignorant that they would do this to a child.” He held wide, wet eyes while lifting his other hand to lightly touch the circle mark that was over Jared’s heart. As he traced the flame like pattern in the center, he saw his mate’s eyes go wider. “Does it hurt when I touch it? Do any of these hurt with me being close to you?”

“At first…in the alley…a couple of them, the one on the small of my back, the little star on my shoulder and that one you just touched on my chest, burned a little…but nothing like what normally happens when I’m around a wolf,” Jared replied quietly. He watched as Jensen’s finger traced that mark before moving to a smaller one in the center of his chest. “You make them stop hurting actually.”

“Is that right?” Jensen had already begun to suspect what the marks were from what Jared had innocently told him, but now that he’d seen them in real time rather than in confusing dreams, he knew for sure. His dislike of Jared’s maternal grandparents had now moved past dislike to straight up rage and disgust.

In his life Jensen had encountered plenty of bigots. He’d met his share of those who disliked werewolves and only showed hate and violence towards them, and actually believed that they needed to be wiped off the earth. Then there were the extreme bigots who considered them blights on the face of humanity, sins against God and His followers. He had a hunch that Jared’s grandparents belonged to the latter group.

“Your…grandmother put these on you so other wolves, possibly your father’s pack, couldn’t scent you, couldn’t find you. I think these also suppress your wolf side’s need to shift. You’ve never shifted, have you?” He knew the answer even before seeing a shake of a head. “You say other times if you’re around wolves the symbols hurt, but they don’t with me?”

“All…through school, college, I always knew when a wolf was close because it would feel like my back was on fire,” Jared told him without realizing that he was relaxing more at the touch to his chest and the scent of the Alpha beside him. “If anyone saw my back or these other ones, they stopped being my friend. I was kicked out of my dorm over them. I…I never knew why or why people treated me weird after seeing them.”

“Because the marks could be taken in a number of ways depending on the person.” Jensen had seen enough and replaced the shirt but left it unbuttoned. “They would either have assumed you were a wolf trying to be totally human by blocking your scent and transformations or that you were anti-wolf and using the symbols to warn you when you were close to one.” He frowned slightly, fingers brushing through soft hair. “Either way, these marks would have been taken wrong. I’m surprised you weren’t confronted by anyone over them before now.”

Jared blinked at he took this in, finally understanding why he’d been treated the way he was in so many places. “My grandparents…they were strict, old time religious. She used to say werewolves or other were-creatures should be burned, that they were evil and…Momma said she was crazy because they were people too. Momma would tell me to not believe the lies or hate and to always believe in my dreams.”

“Your Mom sounds like she was a really good lady, Jared.” Jensen wondered about her death but wouldn’t ask the upset young man anything that personal yet.

“My Momma was beautiful, Jensen,” Jared murmured, leaning more into Jensen’s shoulder, something that he’d never allowed himself to do with anyone else. “She was taking me away when it happened cause she was scared of them hurting me.”

Jensen sat back finally, slipping his arm around shoulders he could feel shaking. He didn’t want to ask what he feared he knew, but he could also sense the open thoughts of a frightened young man with more memories than he needed to have. “You saw her die.”

“They killed her cause she said I wasn’t a monster; she said that I was her baby and she wouldn’t let them hurt me or threaten her anymore.” Jared’s fingers wrapped in Jensen’s shirt as he suddenly turned to bury his face against his neck. “She told me to run, to hide, but I was scared. I was four and didn’t understand what was happening and I saw my grandfather hit her and then their…friends…Momma…”

The sudden sob had Jensen’s arms folding around him, holding Jared tightly while he let out the long suppressed emotions. His toddler self had seen his mother basically beaten to death before her body was burned for having sinned with a wolf. Jensen knew that same scared toddler had not understood what was going on as anti-wolf sigils had been burned into his little body.

“It’s over, sweetheart,” he whispered, pressing his lips to the top of Jared’s head while he held him and buried his rage at the thought of his mate, his Omega, ever facing this along with a lifetime of prejudice, misunderstanding, and hate. “The pain will never completely leave; you’ll never completely forget what you’ve gone through but if you’ll let me, I’ll make sure nothing like that happens again, and I will help you learn who and what you are.”

“What…what am I?” Jared asked after the worst of the tears had slowed down. He was exhausted because he hadn’t cried like that in years.

“You’re mine,” Jensen replied while considering he’d heard these words before and felt a chill run down his back.

“But why would you want me? I’m not like you.” Jared shivered as something tugged at the back of his mind that he’d heard these words before.

“You are like me in the ways that count, sweetheart. As for the rest, I want you because you’re meant to be mine. You are mine, I am yours and nothing will ever separate us again.” Jensen slipped a hand under Jared’s chin and lifted it up so he could see his eyes after brushing bangs out of the way with a smile. “Even if you might not be able to shift right now or these marks can’t be removed, it won’t matter to me. I love you. You’re mine.”

Jared blinked; he was stunned at the depth of emotion he not only heard but also felt from Jensen. Ever since he’d been told he was an Omega, Jared had struggled with that side of himself. He knew what he’d been told it meant, what he was expected to do, but he’d fought it because he didn’t just want to be an Omega for any Alpha to knot or use; he wanted to find his mate, to have what he thought he mother and father might’ve had once.

Now that he was with Jensen, who he knew without a doubt was who he’d dreamed of, who he was meant to be with, he was nervous about what Jensen might expect of him.

Jensen was pure Alpha and a werewolf. Jared knew everything he’d been told about wolves by his too strict, too religious grandparents was probably lies, but he had no actual facts to base things on. The Omega in him wanted to be claimed right now, but there was still something inside him that held back.

“It’s your wolf.” Jensen smiled, amused at the surprised gasp when he seemed to answer Jared’s unspoken thoughts. “While werewolf Omegas are expected to give in to their Alphas, to be submissive, it’s not an easy process because the wolf in them wants to be independent. I think that’s how you’ve managed to stay unclaimed by any Alpha or how you were able to resist submitting when confronted by a dominant Alpha, like the assholes in the bar.”

“I feel…weird or not weird but…like my nerves are coiling up or something,” Jared told him, head turning to the side to watch Jensen place their palms together while meshing their fingers. “I’ve fought to not be a submissive little slave; I’ve even used suppressants to bury the heats, but the longer I’m with you the more…I want to expose my neck and I don’t know why and…would I be?”

The rate at which this boy’s mind moved, the way he bounced between topics, made Jensen’s head spin but he reminded himself that Jared was basically innocent. He knew nothing but lies; he had been given the wrong information for his entire life, so he was bound to be confused. Though the one comment did make him pause. “Slave?” he asked, hair standing up on the back of his neck.

“Would I be?” Jared asked again, tensing suddenly and not sure why. He felt a twinge of pain on his back but ignored it as he locked on Jensen’s eyes, unaware that he’d begun to sweat and tremble. “They…they said Omegas are basically slaves once claimed and it’s worse if the Alpha’s a werewolf cause then…then…I…”

“Jared? What did they tell you?” Jensen frowned when it felt like a wall came down over Jared’s thoughts; that should not have happened given the strength of the bond already between them. He still picked up the increased heartbeat, the way the pulse under his hand was jumping, and the sudden sheer terror that lit the Omega’s scared face. “Sweetheart? I need you to calm down for me and tell me who told you whatever’s scaring you. I’m sure it’s not right but tell me and I’ll…Jared!?”

Jared wanted to calm down. He wanted to curl into Jensen and stay there. He wanted to be told what he was supposed to do considering he was a half-wolf who couldn’t even shift because of the goddamn symbols put on him, but for the first time in his life, he couldn’t control the sudden need to move, to run and hide, to escape.

He could hear Jensen’s voice calling him, telling him to calm down and tell him what was wrong, but the young Omega didn’t know what was wrong. There was a sudden searing pain in his stomach along with pain in his head. The pain quickly took over his whole body, but instead of moving into the hands that were reaching for him, Jared shoved away, nearly falling off the sofa in his haste to move.

“No…no!” he shouted, eyes shooting wide open at something he saw. “No! I won’t let you do that! I…NOOO!”

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Lone Wolf**

**[](https://imgbb.com/) **

**Chapter Three**

“Jared!” Jensen had been at a loss as to what was happening as he watched the terror building in his mate. The link was still there but it wasn’t until he saw a flinch of pain, felt the shadow of agony, and caught a glimpse of an image that Jensen realized what was happening. He was stunned that someone without skill could cause this to happen or would even want it to happen to her own blood.

“Jared, wait! What you see isn’t real! It’s one of the damn symbols! It must be reacting because the others didn’t serve to chase you from me. I can calm it down, but you need to let me…Jared! J…damn it!” he swore when suddenly the young man bolted away from him, out the patio door, and down the steps. The boy had almost reached the woods even before Jensen could process it. “Son of a bitch!”

Jensen knew Jared didn’t have boots on or a jacket. He also didn’t know the woods so even as he was grabbing things he’d need, he was also jerking out his cellphone to hit a number in his very short list of important contacts. “Where are you?” he demanded as he raced out the door, still able to pick up the scent he needed to follow.

There was a low grumble, a long pause, something like a curse, a bang and then a sigh. “Well, up until you called, I was dead asleep in my bed with a hot blond. Now I’m in the kitchen trying to swallow sludge to wake up,” the low, gravelly sounding voice growled in reply. “Ackles, you do know it’s barely dawn, don’t you? Why are you waking me up? Why are you awake? And why do you want to know…wait…what’s wrong?” The coffee seemed to be doing the trick as the other man suddenly sounded more alert.

“How close to the reservation are you and do you know if Connie’s there?” Jensen demanded while still moving. He was able to move quickly even when he wasn’t in his wolf form both because he knew the woods and because most werewolves had better than standard speed and agility even as humans. “Kane! Wake up! I need help.”

Even though Jensen hadn’t been back to Wyoming in 15 years, he did still have a few friends from his youth that he remained in contact with. The man on the phone was one of those few.

Christian Kane was actually Jensen’s longest friend and while the often gruff, hardnosed werewolf didn’t approve of everything his friend did, he’d sworn to always have his back and wasn’t about to stop now…even if he was half asleep. “What’s wrong?” he repeated, waking up more at the tone of voice along with the subtle sounds he could hear in the background. “Jensen? Where the hell are you?”

“Your place outside of Cody,” Jensen replied, eyes and ears attuned to sounds and sights that would tell him where Jared had vanished. He made a note to ask the kid how the hell he moved so fast in woods he didn’t know. “Y’know those weird symbols I’ve been seeing in my dreams? The ones I sent to Matt in New York to see if anyone there could figure them out?”

“Yeah, the ones that came out of those crazy ass dreams you’ve had since we were pups,” Chris nodded, awake now. “Why?”

“They’re binding symbols, Chris.” Jensen stopped to smell the morning air, frowning as he heard something that made him quicken his pace. “That’s why when I would show anyone in the pack the drawings I made of them, they just shut me down. They’re used to block a wolf’s scent from other wolves and to prevent shifting. I think one of them might be something even more powerful…or else the bitch that put them on him slipped something else in one of the symbols cause he freaked out after being fine.”

Chris opened his mouth to ask one thing, only to shut it again. “Wait a minute…who freaked out?” he asked when it clicked what else his friend said. “Cody? You’re in Wyoming? What the hell, Jensen? You said you’d never come back here and how…damn it, what’s going on?”

“Jared freaked out suddenly. I mean, he was fine. He passed out after some asshole Alpha in Cody tried to rape him…not that I was much better at first, but he still handled finding out we were mates and that I could feel him. It was kind of cool because he could already feel me, too. And I didn’t hurt the symbols that his racist grandparents had put on him to block him from other wolves even though they’ve always hurt when he was around wolves before. The symbols also kept him from shifting since he’s a half-wolf.” Jensen rambled on, not even realizing that his friend was still several steps behind in the information area; he just wanted to find the scared young Omega that he could now hear better.

“You found…this…Jared? He’s really the one you’ve been dreaming of?” Chris wasn’t sure what to make of that; he and their other friends often wondered if Jensen’s dreams hadn’t just been straight out dreams. “Same eyes? Same marks? Wait…he’s a half-breed?”

Jensen stopped to frown at his phone. “Do not ever call him that,” he growled lowly; he’d always hated that word and hated it even more now. “Look, I’ll explain more when I see you, but I need to know if Connie’s at home. I think I can counter some of these marks, but the one that set him off this time…it’s got magic or something in it…which doesn’t make sense. If these people were devout religious anti-wolf, doesn’t that mean playing with magic is sinful too?”

“Not if it goes with the symbol or binding ritual; then it’s fine.” Chris had made a living finding and shutting down the extreme hardcore haters he came across, so he knew just what they were capable of. He also knew what Jensen was after. “Yeah, she’s home cause she called to yell at me but…Jensen, you know you can’t come here. It’s too close to…”

“Fuck him,” Jensen returned darkly, voice hard, but he sighed. “I’m not going there and Wyoming was a free state the last time I looked; so if I want to come back and see a friend, then I can. If Rolston doesn’t like it, he and his assholes can go to hell. I need Connie, Chris. I…damn it…I already love him and even if he decides he can’t handle this, he deserves to be helped if she can.” He took another step and turned slowly until he caught the scent again. “He’s been fed lies all his life about who he is, what he is, and what that means. He’s scared now because he thinks being an Omega means he’s going to end up as a slave and…” He stopped to listen, to sniff before looking harder as he neared a section of woods where an old tree stood. “I gotta go, Chris. I’ll talk to you later.”

Before the other wolf could respond or argue, Jensen disconnected the call and pocketed his phone as he took a few more careful steps. He continued until he got around to the back of the old tree and then stopped. “Jared?” Jensen was careful to keep his voice pitched low as he knelt down and was quick to show his hands were empty of everything but the blanket he’d brought with him. “Sweetheart? I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to get you wrapped up in the blanket and maybe back to the cabin before you get even colder.”

Jensen smelled blood so he knew that Jared had torn his feet up pretty bad by running barefoot in the woods like he had. He also smelled fear, but not like he had in the cabin. He realized that now Jared was scared that he would angry with him. “Jared…Jay…” He took a risk with the shortened name, but it paid off as he saw the hunched over form pause in its rocking. After a couple more seconds a lowered head shifted so an eye could peek up at him through shaggy bangs. “Hey there. Would you let me take you back to the cabin so I can clean up those cuts and scratches?” he asked, holding out the blanket but still refraining from getting too close.

Jared’s head had cleared once he was in the woods; the pain had faded as well except for in his feet where the rough ground had cut them and his hands where he’d fallen and caught himself. He’d run and run until he finally collapsed at the base of the tree. Then he’d sobbed because he was so stupid. He knew he’d just ruined what had been his one chance at happiness and safety. He knew Jensen wouldn’t want him now, so when he’d heard the steps approaching, he’d curled into a ball and just hoped that Jensen wasn’t angry enough to hurt him.

The soft gentle voice took him by surprise, but it was the use of the shortened form of his name, a name he’d only heard in his dreams, that had made him peek from under his bangs and lashes to see Jensen where he knelt holding a blanket out.

The older man didn’t look angry. Jared knew angry and the Alpha didn’t look it. He looked worried. “…angry?” he got out in a whisper soft voice, teeth chattering now from the cold and shock of whatever had happened.

“With you? No, I’m not angry with you, Jared,” Jensen assured him, easing closer until he could get the blanket wrapped around shaking shoulders. “You got scared and confused. I know that this can’t be easy on you but I really do want to help you.”

“Still…still wan’ me?” Jared’s fingers were stiff when they reached up to hold the blanket. He felt them brush over Jensen’s and suddenly they were caught and held; the warmth was instantly felt. “What…if that…happens again? I…I don’ wanna be scared or…or…”

“It won’t now that I know about it,” Jensen assured him, fingers feeling Jared’s weakly trying to grasp onto his. “I know someone who I think might be able to help remove that symbol, but until we get to her, I can help you control it…if you’ll still let me.” He moved his other hand up to lift Jared’s face, brushing away the tears on his cheeks. “Jay, this isn’t your fault. I promise it’ll all make sense soon.”

Jared’s lashes closed as he turned his face into the warm touch, then just as quickly moved into the arms that welcomed him, fighting back a sob. “They used to tell me werewolves…the Alphas…kept their omegas chained in cages or on the bed so…so…they could…and…I…don’ wanna…huh?”

“Oh God, is that what you were seeing back there?” Jensen had caught flashes of chains and had suspected it might be something like that, but he hadn’t been expecting the amount of terror and lies that had been instilled in this boy. “Is that why you said you didn’t want to be a slave? Because your grandparents told you that omegas are slaves to their Alphas?” He felt a nod while he brought Jared closer into his arms to feel him shaking. “Sweetheart, you and I need to have a long talk about what you’ve been told cause it’s all lies.”

“My…one of my professors had an omega. He-he kept her on a leash and was mean and stuff,” Jared told him, settling more and starting to feel the pain in his feet.

“Yeah, okay, not all Alphas are nice to their Omegas, I’ll grant you that.” Jensen had seen some horrific things before he left his pack, so he supposed he should stress that he would never do that rather than it didn’t ever happen. “There are Alphas, human or Were, who believe omegas are property and aren’t nice or caring but…” He paused to tip Jared’s face up to smile softly. “I wasn’t raised like that and I don’t believe that. I will not chain you, cage you, or abuse you. You are more than an Omega to me, Jared. You are my mate. I love you and I will care for you, including seeing about making these marks stop hurting you.”

Jared’s arms wrapped around Jensen loosely, hesitantly as first until he felt a soft murmur in his ear that reassured him that the man was fine with his holding on. “C-cold, Jen,” he murmured without thinking.

Jensen heard the name but kept quiet, allowing his mate to use it when he’d snarled at others who had tried to shorten his name. “I know. I’m getting you back inside to get warm and cleaned up. Then we’ll see about taking a trip to see a rather cranky old woman who knows stuff that can help us,” he told him quietly while gently easing Jared into his arms as he stood up, murmuring at the startled gasp he heard. “I know you can probably walk back, but you’ve torn your feet up enough. No need to make it any worse, so just relax and let me care for you.”

Having someone care for him or about him was new for Jared and it left him feeling odd, but he also didn’t think he could walk without considerable pain, so he nodded and let Jensen carry him back.

The cabin was still warm but instead of settling for the sofa in the main room, Jensen continued on up the steps without any issue with Jared’s weight. He placed him on the bed, built the fire up, and then went into the bathroom to grab what he needed. “Do you have a place that you stay at? Do you have more clothes or belongings you might want to grab?” he asked as he sat down to peel the socks off with a wince. “Jay? The next time you go running in the woods, put your boots on first, okay? This is gonna hurt.”

“I…I have stuff at Mike’s place but…I stopped staying there when he got a little possessive and demanding, so I’d sleep on a couple friends who are beta’s floors or…I’d sometimes find someplace safe outside when it wasn’t too cold and…did you growl?” Jared had been trying not to watch what Jensen was doing but he opened his eyes at the low growl he thought he heard. “Most of my stuff is still at my old room but…I can’t go back there cause…”

“I’ll take you back and I’ll stay with you while you grab your stuff…all of it cause you won’t be going back there again or any of the other places and you sure as hell won’t be sleeping outside anymore either.” Jensen was irked that it had taken him this long to connect with his mate and that Jared had been forced to fend for himself that much. “Or I’ll go in and get everything if you’d rather avoid anyone.”

Jared actually thought that sounded like a great idea, but he’d never been much of a coward and couldn’t let having a mate or an Alpha change him that much. “I’ll go in but…” His fingers reached down to curl over Jensen’s wrist. “Stay with me?”

“Always,” Jensen smiled. He finished up dressing the cuts and bruises on Jared’s feet and then his hands before moving up to sit beside him on the bed. He was not expecting the young omega to roll so he was pressed against him with head resting on Jensen’s stomach. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but one he decided he would like to get used to. “I won’t say this’ll be easy, Jared. I’m used to being alone but I’m willing to work on that if you give me time to adjust to finally finding you.”

“I’ll try not to be too annoying or ask too many stupid questions,” Jared yawned; his eyes were getting heavy but he suddenly winced at the twinge in his side again. He felt himself tensing until gentle fingers smoothed over his side where the pain was and soft words could be heard in his head; slowly both the pain and tension could be felt sliding back. “Why’s that happen?”

“I think it’s like a last resort warning system or something. If a wolf, like me, gets past the other sigils, then that one will make you see your greatest fears; the fears will grow until you get scared and try to run,” Jensen replied quietly, his tone dropping into a slightly deeper, soothing one with just a hint of a drawl that soon had Jared relaxing until his eyes drifted closed again and his breathing evened off. “Love you, Jared,” he murmured and let his own eyes close.

The next afternoon after Jensen had gotten Jared to eat something more than a glass of juice and piece of toast and he checked his feet again, they went to pick Jared’s belongings up.

It was hard for Jensen not to insist on Jared staying in the jeep while he went inside, but he understood his mate’s need to stand for himself even if he stayed right by him after the woman opened the door.

“Jared, I…I want to apologize for my son,” she was saying as she stood in the door to the small room while Jared quickly packed his stuff. “He really wouldn’t have hurt you. He just gets a little carried away now and then and wanted to…”

“No Alpha has a right to scare or threaten an Omega these days,” Jensen spoke from where he stood just inside the door, gaze moving between the too nervous woman and Jared. “Especially once the Omega has stated he wants no part in the Alpha. Also, if you’re renting rooms to Omegas with an out of control Alpha also living here, I think that might be against the housing code.”

She shot Jensen a hard look but knew he was an Alpha so was wise enough to keep her mouth shut as he reached to take the duffel bag that Jared just zipped up. “My son doesn’t always live here,” she sniffed, holding out a slip of paper. “Since I kept his stuff here, I think another month of rent is due.”

Jared’s face paled at the thought of owing money when he hadn’t worked recently but before he could say anything, Jensen’s eyes were narrowing and the younger man knew his Alpha was pissed off. “Jensen.” He went to reach for him but stopped when his Alpha gave him a warning glance.

“Your son tried to break in this room. The evidence is in the cracks in the door. Jared fled this place out of fear of personal harm because you made this an unsafe living environment for him. He was too scared to come get what stuff you left him with since we both know he’s missing anything he might’ve had of value.” Jensen would pay if he had to just to free Jared of this part of his life but not before making certain this woman understood a few facts. “Any judicial advocate for Omegas would love to tear your little place here apart since I bet he’s not the first innocent omega you’ve taken in. So…is a month of rent worth it?”

She glared at the tall ruggedly handsome Alpha who’d put himself protectively in front of Jared as the young man clung to a soft tattered looking item. “You’re just planning to use him like my boy wanted to,” she spat but turned on her heel after ripping the bill up. “You won’t get anything out of him. He’s one of those who thinks he’s waiting for his ‘chosen mate’. Those are few and…what?”

Jensen’s lips curved into a hard smile as he met her gaze, letting just a hint more of his true Alpha show so that even a beta like this woman would realize what he was. He knew when she had figured things out because she paled. “Except Jared did find his chosen mate. He found _me_ and I really suggest not pissing me off because an arrogant Alpha is nothing compared to a pissed off werewolf that feels his mate has been threatened.”

The woman gasped, backing off as Jensen held out a hand to Jared. “C’mon, Jay. If you have everything then we’re done here.” He nudged Jared out first but stayed right with him when he scented another Alpha close by. “Go straight to the jeep and get in,” he told him, seeing the hateful glare of a large young Alpha while feeling Jared’s fear as well and knew who it was. “He won’t hurt you, sweetheart. No one will.”

It would take Jared a long time to fully believe that, but he did relax once they were away from that place. He was glad to see an empty driveway at Mike’s place and managed to get in and out of his ex-friend’s place without incident. He made sure to get the rest of his few belongings because no matter what happened after this, Jared knew he was done in Cody and done with Mike and his lies.

He was just putting his small box in the back of Jensen’s jeep when a sudden hard hand grabbed his shoulder, jerked him around, and shoved him back into the jeep with enough force that he cried out in unexpected pain.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Michael Rosenbaum demanded harshly, fingers digging into Jared’s shoulders as he glared at him. “I called the bar only to find out you left after some asshole beat up a buddy of mine! What the hell, Jared?”

Jared’s breath caught at the unexpected attack; his heart started racing because he could smell the anger and rage on Mike even without seeing it in his eyes or feeling his hands digging into his shoulders. Jensen was nowhere in sight. “Let…let go,” he gritted, sensing a change in the air and realizing that this was going to get really bad really soon. “You…you set me up to be raped!”

“Bullshit!” Mike sneered. “I sent you there to knock that uppity chip off your shoulder. I figured if you finally got your ass knotted, you’d figure out what you were supposed to do. Since you didn’t get that knot last night, I’ll take care of it right now!” He went to yank the struggling Omega away from the jeep only to feel a tight hand grab him by the neck. “What the…”

“Huge mistake.” Jensen had been grabbing snacks from the small store across from the apartment since he hadn’t scented the Alpha who lived there, and Jared swore he could be in and out by the time he bought them food for their trip. He’d just been crossing the street when he felt Jared’s pain, caught his fear, and scented the trouble.

The moment he caught sight of the tall bald Alpha with his hands on Jared and heard his words, he realized who this was and Jensen’s temper spiked. He grabbed the guy by the neck and yanked him away from a wide-eyed Jared. “He hurt you, Jared?” he asked as he stepped between them, eyes locked on the enraged Alpha. “Jay?”

“N-no, just…took me by surprise.” Jared’s back did hurt, but he had a hunch if he said that, things might turn really ugly. “I…I got my stuff. Let’s just go.”

“Go? Go where?” Mike demanded, glaring at the stranger without taking in the possible danger. “You’ve been refusing Alphas for as long as I’ve known you, Padalecki! You think you’re too good to turn up your ass for a knot and you take suppressants to avoid going to into heat.” The man chuckled darkly. “Well, you _took_ suppressants until I switched ‘em out on you. Man, your next heat’s gonna come on full blown, baby.” He sneered at Jared while taking a step forward only to stop at the low growl that had his head jerking to see searing green eyes drilling into his. “What’s this asshole got that makes him worth your time? What’s he promising you? Love? Safety from the cruel world of alphas looking to own that ass or…” He paused to glare at Jensen again when it hit him. “Son of a bitch! He’s a fuckin’ werewolf! I thought you couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with a Were!”

Jared could feel Jensen’s rage increasing; he could also feel the need to shift and rip Mike’s throat out building in his Alpha, so with more courage than he actually felt, the young Omega reached out with a shaky hand to grab onto Jensen’s arm. “He’s my mate.” He spoke softly but thought his voice sounded pretty steady and he saw Jensen look at him with a small smile. “He saved me last night after you set me up. He cares about me as a person.”

“You’re not a _person_ , Jared!” Mike shot back. “You’re an Omega with too many dreams of being normal. Come on kid, no Alpha, especially not a were, will ever see you as more than an ass to fuck and a belly to hold his pups! You’d be better off slitting your throat before letting a damn wolf knot you. Hell, doesn’t smell like he’s even claimed you yet so maybe he doesn’t…”

Jensen’s fingers were on his throat in the next second, jerking him closer to his face. “Jared can do whatever he wants to do, be whoever he wants to be. I will give him whatever he wants,” he growled in a deep hard tone, squeezing harder until Mike’s sneer went away and fear began to take its place as he realized Jensen was deadly serious. “He will be loved and I will protect him from my kind and from assholes like you who just see him as an Omega…but Jared will never be used or talked to like he is something less than human.”

“Jen,” Jared whispered, scared that Jensen would go too far and be arrested; he knew Mike would do something like that just to hurt him. “Please? Can…can we just go?”

The wolf inside him, the Alpha, wanted to make this guy bleed for want he’d said and for placing Jared in danger but as he felt the shaking fingers touch him, felt the fear in Jared’s thoughts, Jensen pulled his emotions in and slowly nodded. “Yeah, we’re going.” He shoved Mike away without another look. “Let’s go, babe.”

“He’ll never keep you when he figures out how stupid and screwed up you are Padalecki!” Mike shouted, furious at being made a fool of as he noticed the stares of others on the street. “You’ll be back here begging me to let you stay on my floor and take your ass! You’ll be back!”

“No, he won’t,” Jensen muttered, keeping his hand on a trembling arm as he got Jared into the jeep. He shot a final warning glare at Mike before getting back behind the wheel to start the vehicle and drive away.

There was silence for a long time until they finally got outside of Cody. Once the town could no longer be seen in the rearview mirror, Jensen pulled off to the side of the road. “C’mere, Jay.” He turned and accepted the shaking young man in his arms, folding his arms around Jared as he heard him fighting back tears. “I’m sorry there are assholes like that still in this world. I’m sorry they reinforce the crap you were told growing up but I do promise it will get better.”

“That’s not why I’m…” Jared paused to take in a shaky breath, embarrassed at how emotional he was with Jensen. “You stood up for me today…twice. You really stood up to people for me and Mike was an Alpha like you and you still stood up for me.” He lifted his head to stare at Jensen, a shy smile on his lips and the first hint of dimples showing. “Thank you! Thank you, Jensen!”

The open emotion on Jared’s face, as well as the pure happy smile and dimples took Jensen’s breath away. He’d never been the cause of such joy so it shocked him for a moment. He slowly let his fingers card back through the long floppy hair that he noticed tended to fall into Jared’s eyes. “Jared, I’ll always stand up for you,” he murmured; the urge to kiss the soft looking lips that were so close to him was strong but Jensen held back despite his instincts. “I meant it when I said I love you. I meant it when I told him that I will give you whatever you want.”

“Anything I want, Jen?” Jared asked softly, lashes lowering shyly. He knew what he would love to ask but was afraid. He felt a gentle touch on his face and looked up into his Alpha’s eyes.

“Anything.” Jensen suspected he should be more careful in how he phrased things given how innocent Jared was, but he could see how badly Jared was struggling with asking for something that should have been so simple. “Tell me what you want, sweetheart.”

“Would you…I mean…I know we’ve just met and I’m not sure how this is supposed to go since everything I know doesn’t seem right but…” Jared broke off with a sigh. “Kiss me?”

Jensen’s smile was soft. Jared’s scent was driving him nuts so the thought of simply kissing him without doing more would test the limits of his patience. “Yes, I’ll kiss you,” he replied.

He wished for a better place than his car, but Jensen slid his fingers down to curve around Jared’s neck while keeping his other hand on his face. “Love you,” he murmured before letting their lips touch.

The first taste of Jared’s lips had Jensen groaning softly. He could taste the innocence as well as a sweetness that all Omegas seemed to have, but there was something else as well. As he slowly licked over soft plush lips that began to hesitantly return the kiss, as if Jared was unsure how to kiss him, Jensen realized that what he was tasting was strictly Jared.

Jared hadn’t been sure what to expect from this kiss. He’d been kissed before, but it was usually nothing impressive. They were usually sloppy, wet kisses with too much tongue and groping to go with them, but Jensen’s kiss was somehow hot and had Jared’s blood heating in a way that was new while it still felt slow and gentle…like what a first kiss should’ve been.

He thought he sensed Jensen’s emotions increasing and he knew that Alphas had a hard time controlling their desires, so Jared expected the kiss to heat, to become harder and more demanding. When it didn’t and Jensen slowly eased back enough to catch his breath, Jared’s eyes were confused.

“Yes, I am fighting both wolf and Alpha to keep from claiming you right here and before you ask, you kissed me just fine and I do want more but…” Jensen forced out a shaky breath to try and settle the need to mark Jared, to fuck him right there. “…I’m trying to make up for what I almost let happen the other night. I want to give you time to know me in all ways before we make love and before I mark you fully as my mate.”

“Are all wolves like you?” Jared asked before thinking about it, feeling an odd tingle on one of the marks on his back but ignoring it for the moment. “I mean, not pushy or…demanding or growly or…stuff?”

“No, a good many of them are like that and I can sometimes be that way if I don’t control the Alpha side,” Jensen chuckled, kissing Jared again with a fast soft kiss that made his mate laugh as he sat back in his seat. “I won’t always promise tight control, Jared. Especially where we’re going because…it’s been a while since I’ve been around more than a few wolves at a time. The reservation shouldn’t have too many, but there will be some so I might get growly…especially over you. Just don’t get scared if I do because I won’t hurt you…and I won’t let anyone else hurt you either.”

Jared nodded but frowned a little and shifted in his seat. He was about to ask Jensen about one of his comments when the tingling in his back turned to pain and he gasped. “Jensen?”

“Let me look.” Jensen felt the fear as well as the pain so he knew where to look. As Jared turned slightly and lifted his shirt up, he expected to see the same deep marks and symbols and he for the most part he did…until he looked up a little to one intricately drawn symbol that could barely be seen. “What the hell?” he whispered, lightly running his finger over the skin where the mark had been to feel Jared jerk. “Did that hurt?”

“A little but not like it did before.” Jared twisted around trying to look and see for himself. “Jen? What’s wrong? Is it worse or did something change or…” He could see Jensen’s confusion and was getting worried when the touch smoothed over it again and it felt warm.

“It looks like this one is going away.” Jensen had a hunch as to why but not how; he hoped the woman he was taking Jared to see would be able to tell him for certain. “Tell me if it happens again or if you start feeling pain in any of them like you did before?”

“I will,” Jared promised, sitting back to put his seatbelt back on. “Where are we going, Jen?” he inquired curiously.

Jensen took another moment to be sure Jared was okay before pulling back onto the road. “A little place just outside the Wind River Reservation,” he replied, sensing Jared’s unease and thinking he understood it. “No one will hurt you or look at you wrong. In fact, if anyone does, I’m sure Connie will smack them in their heads cause she’s a brash old woman who will adore your dimples and smile.” He slipped a hand over to hold Jared’s tightly. “She’ll probably want to adopt you on sight but don’t be shocked if she yells at me for scaring you the other night even before we tell her anything. She…knows stuff.”

“Is…she a wolf?” Jared wasn’t scared of werewolves but he wasn’t sure if the marks would react to others like they always had. He also wasn’t sure he was ready to deal with more Alphas this soon either, but he relaxed when he caught Jensen shaking his head.

“Connie’s a Beta and she’s human. She’s also probably close to a hundred years old so you don’t have to be afraid of her,” Jensen assured him. “There are wolves who live in the town but there are also humans, so there will be Alphas as well as Betas and Omegas too. You won’t be hurt, Jay. The people who settled the town are from other packs or drifters who didn’t fit in but found this place and it seemed to mesh.”

“Where’s…your pack from?” Jared finally worked up the courage to ask but saw the way Jensen’s fingers tensed on the wheel and his jaw twitched. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. It’s none of my…”

“No, no, it’s fine, Jay. You’re my mate so of course it’s your business. I…I just don’t talk about my pack or where I’m from much.” Jensen let his thumb soothe over Jared’s wrist until he felt him calm down again. “I left my pack when I was 17. There were…issues and since then I’ve been on my own so that’s why I sometimes get on edge around other wolves, especially if they’re Alphas with egos.” He brought the hand he was holding to his lips to press them against Jared’s wrist and smiled when he saw his eyes go slightly dark. “I’ll tell you more about me soon. Okay?”

Jared understood about not wanting to talk about family and stuff so he nodded. “What will this lady do?” he asked with a yawn; he was surprised that he was tired but figured it was from not being in constant fear of being attacked or grabbed or lied to.

“I want to see if she can help to remove or lessen the symbols so they won’t hurt you when you’re around other wolves, or at least not hurt as severely.” Jensen also had a few questions about why that one mark went away on its own and why a few others didn’t seem as pronounced as they had the night before or even that morning. “I won’t leave you with her alone. It’ll take an hour or so to drive there. You can sleep if you want or see what’s on the radio or…I grabbed some snacks before that asshole decided to put his hands on you.” He nodded to the bags in the rear seat and hid his smile as Jared went for the bags to see what he’d bought. “You’ll have to tell me what you like to eat so we can actually get real food in you before Connie hits me for feeding you junk.”

“Oh, I don’t usually care what I eat so long as it’s warm sometimes and doesn’t take like paste.” Jared pulled out a couple candy bars, a bag of chips, a bottle of soft drink and some orange juice as well as a few cold cut sandwiches. “I got used to eating what I could afford or find or…you bought pickles?”

Jensen looked next to him to see the candy and chips were no longer interesting Jared as much as the small jar of dill pickle chips he’d grabbed to go with the sandwiches. “Yeah, you can’t have sandwiches without pickles in my opinion. You can open them if you want and eat some and a sandwich.” He watched from the corner of his eye to see the young man debating before finally hearing the lid pop as it opened.

The drive to Elkton was uneventful, and it gave Jensen a chance to draw his mate out more. He avoided asking too many questions about Jared’s early life or mentioning the abuse suffered at his grandparents hands even though it was quickly plain to Jensen that Jared’s beliefs were because of that abuse and too many lies.

He did find out that Jared enjoyed being outdoors and loved the woods which explained his ease last night when he’d run into the ones near the cabin. Jared also loved animals and babies, which could’ve been a result of an Omega’s natural tendency to nurture. The most stunning realization, however, came when the young, shy Omega, the one who swore he was stupid, took Jensen’s pain in the ass smartphone and brought up the GPS app with barely a glance at it.

Jensen found out that Jared was from Oklahoma, or at least he’d been raised there. He thought he’d been born someplace else, but perhaps the most important thing he found out was that Jared’s last name was his father’s, not his mother’s.

“They wanted to change it but because it was on my birth certificate, the state wouldn’t let them.” Jared was munching on another sandwich while his head leaned on the glass of the passenger window. For the first time that he could remember, he had a full belly, a warm car with music on the radio, and someone he felt safe with, and that allowed him to relax enough to feel sleepy. “They said later it didn’t matter cause my Dad…whoever he was, wouldn’t want me anyway. I…I sometimes wonder if he looked for us.”

“Jay, I can promise you that unless your Dad was a total douche, he looked for you and your Mom.” Jensen would see about having Chris or someone look into the name to see if there were any Padaleckis in the known packs. “No father…or no wolf father would just let his family vanish without looking for them. He might still be looking for you.”

Jared seemed surprised to hear this. He’d often wondered about his father and used to wish he’d come but when it never happened, he gave up on childish wishes and learned to cope with the nightmares. “You said you left your family…why didn’t your dad look for you?” he asked through a sleepy yawn.

“My Dad had died six months earlier or he would’ve,” Jensen replied without as much bite as he might have used with anyone else knowing the innocent omega had no clue to what not to ask him.

“Oh. Oh! God, Jen…I’m sorry.” Jared’s eyes popped open and he sat up, turning to stare at Jensen with huge apologetic eyes. “I…I’m so stupid. You said you didn’t talk about your family and here I am asking stupid, stupid questions and…”

Jensen had slowed down because they were nearing their destination. Now he reached over to lay a comforting hand on Jared’s paling face and smiled. “You didn’t know, Jay. It’s okay. I’m…okay.” In truth Jensen was mostly okay with his father’s death and the actions afterward. He just had one serious issue he still had problems with; it was the reason he’d stayed out of Wyoming and had refused to come this close to where his pack still lived. “It’s…shit!”

The town of Elkton wasn’t large but it was set up like any other small Western town. Jensen knew where the house was he needed, and so he hadn’t been paying attention to anything but calming Jared down when he started to get upset. He hadn’t bothered to pay attention to their surroundings until he caught a flash of pain on Jared’s face a second before the young man’s face paled. Then he looked out the windshield just in time to swerve and slam on the brakes to avoid the group of wolves in the street.

Swerving hard with a curse, Jensen heard a thud, felt pain, and then felt fear and more pain when suddenly Jared’s body jerked hard as it seemed to react to the wolves that were now surrounding the jeep. “Jared?”

“H-hurts!” Jared gasped. His back on fire as he tried to get his seatbelt unhooked even as Jensen was throwing growling curses about assholes and trying to help him. “Jen! _Jensen_!” he suddenly shouted with terror in his eyes as a large black wolf leaped to the hood of the jeep with its jaws open to show razor sharp teeth and cruel yellow eyes. “No!” Even as Jensen was turning, Jared saw the wolf crouch, ready to lunge through the glass at him.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**Lone Wolf**

**[](https://imgbb.com/) **

**Chapter Four**

Jensen Ackles had seen the terror on Jared’s white face and had turned to look. He saw the huge black wolf on the hood; he saw it crouch to jump through the glass of his jeep’s windshield. He knew the wolf and had been hoping not to encounter him or his clique – he really didn’t even want them to know that he was in the area, but right then, Jensen’s primary concern was protecting Jared who seemed to be the intended target of the snarling beast.

“No!” Jared shouted in fear. He started to curl up into a ball, but then felt his seatbelt being jerked open before he was tugged out of his seat over toward Jensen. As he watched in wide-eyed fear, another wolf sprang into view, slamming into the black one and knocking it off the hood and into the street where snarls and growls ensued. “Jensen?!”

“Stay here!” Jensen manhandled Jared into the back seat of the jeep where he’d be better shielded. The moment he was sure the young man was as safe as he could be for the moment, he was out of the jeep with a shout, temper surging to the surface and not giving a damn about the other possible four-legged attackers as he rounded the front of his vehicle. “What the fuck Welling?” he demanded, fighting not to shift since he needed to be able to get back to Jared if he had to in a hurry. “What was that about…other than you’re still obviously an asshole and you came damn close to being roadkill. If I’d known it was you I wouldn’t have swerved!”

The black wolf that was now pinned on the sidewalk by a larger black and brown wolf turned its head to snarl only to yipe when teeth nipped it in clear warning. Suddenly instead of wolves there were men on the ground; one had his hand around the throat of the now struggling form on the ground.

“That’s what I want to know too, asshole!” Christian Kane wasn’t as tall as the man he had pinned, but he was stockier and knew how to use his weight to his advantage. “You know the rules and so do the rest of those jerks who backed you up! No shifting in town and no attacking people!”

“He ain’t no person, Kane! He ain’t nobody now since he left his pack. Plus he’s got an Omega with him who’s close to going into heat…he smells kinda weird too so we were just…looking out for the town,” Tom Welling spat in disgust, glaring daggers at Jensen and then over to the jeep. “Your kind ain’t welcome here, loner. You…ack!”

Chris’s hand tightened in warning while throwing back his other to motion Jensen not to do what he figured he was thinking of. “He ain’t worth it, Jensen. You came to Elkton for a reason. The pup you have with you is clearly terrified. Get him to Connie and I’ll drag Welling over to JD’s office for a little talking to about his behavior.”

“You don’t live here, Kane! You can’t tell me what I can do or…” Welling was yanked to his feet and shoved against a nearby store to allow a bearded and furious face to glare into his.

“He’s got the right to do that and more, boy!” Jeffrey Dean Morgan had been Sheriff in Elkton for almost 20 years. He’d seen it grow from a few people to a few thousand and in that time, he’d had a few bad apples come in, but he’d always been able to handle things and move them on.

Tom Welling and his buddies were young wolves, mostly Alphas, who believed they were owed something. He’d rousted them a few times in the last six months, and the town council had now given him permission to toss the troublemakers either in jail or out of town if he saw fit.

The 6’2” Alpha had been giving them the benefit of the doubt, but it was hard to ignore a blatant attack like this, even if it was on someone he’d never expected to see again.

“Jensen’s reason for leaving his pack isn’t any of your business or this town’s since it didn’t happen here! He had his reasons, and some decree by some arrogant bastard doesn’t mean he isn’t welcome in this town, isn’t allowed to visit friends who live here,” he growled in a deep voice that was pure Alpha as he grabbed Welling by back of the neck and gave him a small shake. “You get your ass to my office and leave Jensen and the boy alone. Otherwise, the next time I get called about you and your buddies, I’ll be kicking your asses out of my town!”

“Lone wolves are trouble!” Welling yelled, enraged as he saw his backup vanishing as if realizing they didn’t want to be part of the mess he was in. “He’s a troublemaker! He refused his Alpha’s orders! He…”

Green eyes went to slits but before Jensen could lunge, a hand pushed against his chest. The hand slowed him down, but it was something Jensen heard that finally had him turning to the jeep. He threw a final look back at a wolf he’d had issues with since high school. “Where’s your pack, Welling?” he asked curiously, smirking at the glare he got. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. They got smart and kicked your ass out. You’re JD’s problem. Stay away from me and what’s mine. As soon as I finish my business here, we’ll be gone and it’ll be the last time I ever set foot in this goddamn state.”

“So since you’re here, Kane, and Jensen’s obviously here to see Connie, can I assume the third one of your trio is going to be making an appearance soon?” JD asked with a groan in his voice. He could handle these two on top of the troublemakers in his town, but add in the chaos that usually followed one Chad Michael Murray, and he thought retirement to Tahiti sounded good.

“Maybe,” Chris shrugged before following Jensen back to the jeep. “Hey, you should…okay, been a long time since you did that to me,” he sighed when he got a hand in the face. He could hear his longtime friend talking softly, soothingly, in a tone he hadn’t heard from Jensen before and that immediately grabbed his attention.

“Hey, hey now…it’s okay, sweetheart. No one’s going to hurt you. The Sheriff took care of the asshole and the others really didn’t know what they were doing. They all took off already.” Jensen’s rage had been hard to battle back given that his emotions were already on edge, but it was the terror he could feel radiating from his mate and then the hard sobbing from inside his jeep that tore him back to who needed him the most. “I’m sorry, Jay. Welling’s been a bastard since high school. If I had known he was in Elkton, I would’ve seen if Connie could’ve have met us somewhere else,” he murmured while working to calm Jared down where he’d curled up on the back seat.

Jensen had felt fear from this boy before; he’d felt pain, but nothing like he was feeling now as he sat in the back with Jared, fingers stroking over his Omega’s head, which was currently hidden under the tattered blanket he’d clung to earlier in that boarding house.

Jared’s back and chest were in agony from the presence of other wolves and he was terrified that they would break into the jeep. He could hear the growls even though he was locked inside the vehicle and he heard Jensen’s Alpha voice and felt his anger when he went to confront the wolf who had threatened to jump through the windshield.

He was scared of the pain, scared that Jensen would be hurt since he was outnumbered, but more than anything, Jared was scared of the feelings he could feel forming inside him. He knew that when Mike, the Bastard, Rosenbaum had bragged about swapping his suppressants with something else, he’d been telling the truth.

Jared had struggled to avoid the heats that omegas would go into, the constant burning need for an alpha’s knot, and he had been successful for the most part. He faithfully took suppressants and he had some sex toys to simulate the experience for when mild heats came over him. Something told him, however, that this heat was not going to be easy to get through. Not only had he been off the pills for too long, but also his body had decided that he had found his mate…even if they hadn’t done anything or he hadn’t been marked yet.

He felt Jensen beside him, heard his voice, felt one hand on his head and the other rubbing his shoulder. Even as the pain was going away from the marks, Jared could feel his heat starting to surface. In fact, the nearness of Jensen seemed to speeding the process along. He was terrified to face Jensen like this, but he wasn’t sure what else to do.

“Jay? C’mon, please? Can you sit up and look at me?” Jensen was starting to worry that something was seriously wrong when it suddenly hit him. His nose registered the slight change in Jared’s scent and he realized that the boy’s trembling wasn’t only caused by fear. He found himself pushing the primal urges he felt back down. “You’re going into heat?” he asked in whispered disbelief; he recalled the bald asshole’s comments, but he was not this expecting this development so soon. He now wished he’d ripped the bastard’s throat out for taking away Jared’s only defense against something that might seem natural to most omegas but would certainly be as alien to Jared as everything else he was learning about himself was. “Okay…it’s going to be alright. I’ll help you get through this, but first I need you to look at me. I need to know if the pain’s backing off from those marks or if it’s as painful as before.”

Jared’s head shook under the old tattered blanket that barely covered his 6’4” frame. He slowly reached a cold, shaking hand out from the under the blanket to find Jensen’s other hand, sighing when he felt it grasped tightly. “Not…hurting as badly,” he mumbled, tensing when he heard another voice speaking from too close to them. He whimpered and pressed his face tightly against Jensen’s leg. “Jen?”

“He’s not going to hurt you, Jared. He’s a good friend of mine, and I swear that he will not hurt you or come any closer to you,” Jensen was quick to soothe, feeling Jared’s fright when Chris got closer to ask him what he was going to do or if he could do anything to help. “Yeah, drive us to Connie’s.” He pulled his keys out to toss them to his friend.

Jensen didn’t like having even Chris this close to Jared this soon, but he couldn’t drive and calm the Omega down at the same time so he had to chance it and let his friend drive the jeep. “I…I need to get him someplace warm and safe, Chris. He needs to be in a secure place when his heat kicks into full gear. I’m really hoping that Connie can maybe help take some of the pain away.”

Chris had known Jensen since they were pups in the same pack. He’d seen him grow up a cocky teenager who’d certainly played the field of betas and omegas but stopped short of committing to any of them because of his belief that his chosen mate was out there someplace.

He and their mutual friend hadn’t really bought into that belief, but as he watched Jensen soothe and calm the curled up young man, he realized that Jensen had been right to wait. He hadn’t actually seen a face yet to go with the ridiculously long arms and legs that were currently curled into a near ball, but the floppy hair and the soft voice gave the impression that the Omega was fairly young. The change in Jensen with this Omega was clear and all Chris could do was hope the situation didn’t blow up on his friend.

From the moment Jensen got into the rear of the jeep with Jared, it seemed like he had his arms full of his shaking, confused mate. He heard him whispering apologies against his neck where his face was now buried. “Shhh, it’s gonna be fine, Jay. You’re scared and confused. I’m with you now. Just hold onto me until you feel safe, but can I at least move this blanket enough so I can see your face?” he asked, wanting to see Jared’s face just so he could reassure them both that things would be fine.

Jared hesitated before easing the blanket away and leaning back enough to see Jensen’s face. He could see the concern on the rugged face as well as the tight muscles that signaled the Alpha’s emotions. “I…you…why did that happen?” he asked, voice shaking.

“It was more about me that he came at us but…then he sensed you…an Omega on the verge of heat. He’ll use that as an excuse,” Jensen replied, settling in the seat to allow Jared to lie against him while running his fingers back through long hair until he felt some of the shudders beginning to slow down.

“Was…it cause I’m…half-wolf?” Jared asked softly, body tightening in response to Jensen’s closeness. “Jen…I haven’t…I haven’t been in a full heat since…I was 16,” he whispered, not missing the curse from the Alpha behind the wheel or the soft groan from Jensen. “I…I don’t know what to…how to…to…”

Jensen shot a silent growl at Chris, warning him to keep his opinions to himself. He was having a hard enough time coping with his own response to that admission. He couldn’t imagine Jared’s body right then on the verge of a full out heat without any pills to dull it or suppress the needs. He also couldn’t imagine how he’d handle it; after all they hadn’t done more than kiss a few times, and he still hadn’t actually completed the claiming that would ensure Jared’s safety from other Alphas.

“No, it had nothing to do with you being part wolf; with those symbols still on you, I doubt if Welling or the others could even sense that about you yet.” Jensen caught the slightest shake of Chris’s head, which told him that while the scent was off for Jared being pure human, it wasn’t immediately detectable that he was part wolf either. “And as for the other? I’ll get you through it, Jay. You’re not alone now and you’ll never have to be afraid of being alone or hurt as long as I’m with you.”

Jared closed his eyes as he tried to calm down. Soon he could feel his body relaxing as he let the sound, touch, and scent of his Alpha soothe him. “Where…were we going?” he asked softly, peeking from under his lashes to see that they were outside of town where just houses seemed to be. Within minutes they pulled into the driveway of what looked to be a good-sized two-story yellow house with bright purple shutters. “Ummm.”

“Did I forget to say Connie’s color blind too?” Jensen coughed when he noticed the new paint job and recalled that the last time he was here, the shutters had been neon green while the house was a bright blue. “She just doesn’t like neutrals, does she?”

“She says it’s her way to give directions to strangers,” Chris shrugged, nodding to the ancient Volkswagen parked in the yard that was currently painted like a zebra. “Don’t ask her about the car. Her explanation will just give you a headache.”

“You’ll like Connie, Jay,” Jensen murmured softly with a kiss to Jared’s temple. “She’ll mother hen you while yelling at me, and probably Chris since he’s here, but I promise she won’t hurt you.”

Jared nodded, trusting Jensen. He looked up to see a petite looking older Indian woman standing on the step just outside the side door to the house. “She…she doesn’t look 200 years old, Jensen,” he mumbled and was almost certain she’d heard his words as sharp dark eyes narrowed to pin Jensen the second he stepped from the jeep.

“This kid doesn’t think before he talks much, does he?” Chris grinned as he held back his laugh while waving his hands that he’s innocent in this.

Jensen smiled fondly into Jared’s eyes while keeping his hand on him as he led him to the house, feeling the tension rippling through him again from being with strangers. “Nah, she just looks 176 or so,” he whispered back, enjoying the soft giggle and watching the woman take in what he had brought her. “Connie, this is Jared…my mate.”

Connie Running Star had been born and raised on the Wind River Reservation. She was full blooded Arapaho Indian and came from a long line of powerful Shamans. She’d moved to Elkton nearly 50 years earlier because she felt it was needed and never looked back.

The woman was petite at 5’ and looked like a stiff wind would blow her over, but she had an inner strength that had allowed her to survive in a world of Alphas and assholes. She was self-sufficient but never revealed how. She’d been the town advisor, healer, secret keeper and guardian for years and had never turned away a person in need. One look at the big dark-eyed boy clinging to Jensen had her heart aching as she could feel his pain, his confusion, and things she knew that Jensen hadn’t come close to getting at yet.

Of course hearing the word ‘mate’ come out of Jensen’s mouth nearly shocked her speechless since she could remember him saying more than once that he’d never settle down unless he found ‘the one’. Now as she took in the protective way the Alpha stood with his arm around the boy, as well as the way he shot his longtime friend a back off look, she smiled.

“So you found him.” She made no move to touch or even get too close to the shivering young man yet; instead she stepped back to open the door to her home. “Bring the boy inside, Jensen! He’s freezing and close to going back into shock. Took you long enough to get him here,” she scolded with an eye roll and slapped the full blooded wolf on the back of his head as he passed. “Your manners still make me wonder what barn you were raised in, boy! And don’t you dare step foot inside my kitchen with mud on those shoes, Christian Kane!” she snapped without looking back. “Now then, let’s have a look at this sweet boy.”

“Oh, I was raised in a barn but he’s a sweet boy?” Jensen scoffed but smoothed his fingers over Jared’s arm to let him know he wasn’t serious, sensing that his mate might not understand the older woman’s brusque manners or his response to them. “Playing favorites already, Connie?”

“You shush yourself and get him settled on the couch while I make some hot chocolate and check on dinner,” Connie replied and knew Jensen would do just that since he’d always been at home here. “I made two rooms up but I’m thinking you’ll just need the one. Jensen, you’ll sleep on the sofa that’s in there; I’m sure he’ll feel better with you close to him…especially for the next several days.” She could scent Omegas in heat as well as any Alpha could, and she could also tell that something was off with this boy, but she decided to wait to corner Jensen alone to find out what was going on since Chris’s phone call to her was sorely lacking in details.

Jared was stunned at the feeling of warmth and safety that came over him upon entering the home. The two rooms he’d seen so far were spacious and clean, but also cluttered in a way that made it feel like a lived in home, unlike his grandparents place which had always felt formal and stuffy.

The sofa in the living room was large and overstuffed and it felt amazingly soft when he sank down on it with Jensen beside him. He curled into the Alpha, still leery of what was going on or how safe he was after what happened earlier. “Have you told her…stuff?” he asked softly, fingers curling into Jensen’s shirt in order to keep contact because just touching Jensen made him feel safe. “Like…about me or what I am or should be or…not or…” His words trailed off and he let his head drop to Jensen’s shoulder.

“I told Chris a few things about the marks and I imagine he passed that onto her, but I’ll talk to her about the other stuff soon. It won’t matter, sweetheart. Connie’s not like most people you’ve met who have made you feel bad about things.” Jensen began to let himself relax now that he knew they were safe for the moment. He was optimistic that here Jared could start to learn about himself without fear or lies.

It should’ve been odd for him to feel this way about a boy he’d just met. After all, Jensen had spent 15 years being a literal lone wolf, and now here he was responsible for an Omega who had no real clue about anything. And not just any Omega, but an Omega who was part wolf and had had his head filled with lies about what that meant or might one day mean for him.

Yet as Jensen settled back on the old worn sofa that hadn’t changed since the last time he was inside this house 15 years earlier, he found that not only was he was accepting this sudden change, but he was also longing for the day when he could say he had a family again.

Quietly soothing Jared, Jensen listened to the quiet voices in the kitchen. Chris was filling Connie in on what had happened in town with Welling as well as what might be coming if the too stubborn asshole decided to press the issue of Jensen being back and with an Omega who was going into heat.

“Just let that little whelp step one foot on my property and I’ll fill his uppity furry ass full of silver laced buckshot so fast he’ll be picking it out his nose next month,” Connie snorted with a huff of disgust as she carried a tray of mugs and a plate of cookies into the living room. “Now then, how about some hot chocolate with marshmallows and homemade chocolate chip cookies to tide you over until dinner is ready?” she offered with a warm smile to reassure the shy young man who was torn between hiding his face against Jensen’s neck and seeing the cookies. “You like cookies, honey?”

Jared’s stomach grumbled a little as he chewed his lip, debating on his answer until he felt a gentle nudge from Jensen that told him it was safe for him to answer.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied softly, politely while keeping his eyes down on the hand that Jensen was holding. “But you don’t have to waste them on me. Jensen and…his friend, they should have those. I don’t…Jen?” Jared felt the spark of temper and his eyes shot up in fear, but he only saw calm green looking back at him with a touch of sadness. “I…I’m just an Omega, Jen. I don’t…hey…did you know your jaw twitches sometimes?”

“Yeah, usually when I’m getting angry it’ll do that,” Jensen agreed, but when he saw panic begin to build on Jared’s face, he was quick to explain. “I’m not angry with you, babe. I’m angry with every single asshole that has ever told you lies about yourself so that you don’t even think you deserve to have cookies. Jared, even Omegas eat cookies…and _my_ Omega is gonna get spoiled, so as of right now I want you to stop believing all the crap those people have told you. Okay?” He tipped Jared’s face up to smile at him. “Please eat some cookies because I’m pretty sure she won’t let me or Chris have any if you don’t.”

“I might not let you have any period after what you did to scare this poor young thing the other night, Jensen Ackles.” Connie had to work hard not to offer her own opinions of the people who had filled such a bright and innocent mind with such horrid things, but once shaking fingers reached to take a small cookie, she turned her attention to his Alpha. “Well? Did you think I wouldn’t find out about that, mister? I should box your ears…or I might wait until you shift and give that tail a yank.”

Jared blinked at that, expecting to feel or sense Jensen’s anger at being talked to like that by a Beta, but his mate remained calm and even looked a bit amused. “Would she pull your tail really?” he asked while breaking a bit of the soft warm cookie off and holding it out to Jensen.

“Yeah, she would,” Jensen replied easily, taking the offered bite of cookie into his mouth and then gently licking the chocolate off of Jared’s fingers, smiling as the Omega’s eyes widened. “She’s done it before. Though that hurts less than her pulling my ears in either form does so I try to avoid it,” he added. “I also apologized to him. The Alpha wolf went kind of haywire that night and I had a bit of trouble getting things under control...but I did.”

“He…he saved me, ma’am.” Jared felt the need to protect Jensen from the feisty little woman who would barely come up to the middle of his chest if he stood. He knew Jensen would also tower over her, but she seemed fierce still. “I…I was scared but I…I knew Jensen wouldn’t hurt me. Just like I knew his wolf form cause I’d seen it in my dreams. He doesn’t get angry with me, not even when I ran from him when this one mark hurt and made me see bad things and…I’m talking too much again, aren’t I?”

Jared knew he had a bad habit of babbling when he was nervous or uneasy. He figured he was doing it again even though Jensen hadn’t said anything to stop him.

“No, sweetheart, you’re not talking too much,” Jensen assured him instead, holding out a mug of hot chocolate filled with marshmallows. “Drink this and then…would you maybe let Connie see your back so she’ll understand?”

“We’ll eat dinner and then I’ll look at his back,” the woman replied instead while watching Jared carefully sip his hot chocolate. “You take him up and settle in the room while Christian helps me finish dinner.”

Jared tried to balk by saying he could help her, but Connie merely smiled and said he could help her plenty while they visited but for now he should relax.

The room Jensen chose out of the two Connie had prepared was spacious but had a homey feel to it. The bed was large enough for two to fit comfortably, but there was also a lumpy old sofa in the room. Along the back wall there was small fireplace that would keep the room warm in the evenings but as Jensen knew by seeing other Omegas during their heats, Jared wouldn’t be cold; he’d be burning up.

“Do you think she can help with the symbols?” Jared asked quietly as he sat on the lumpy sofa. “What if when she looks at them she reacts like other people have? What if…?”

“Connie’s not like other people, Jay.” Jensen leaned on the bedpost to watch the young Omega look around the room. “Tell me what’s wrong, sweetheart.” He could tell something was just by the way Jared was chewing his bottom lip. “Other than Chris worrying you or the heat that’s probably going to come on sooner than you’ll be ready for, what’s scaring you?”

“That I’ll disappoint you in some way.” Jared wasn’t sure why all of a sudden he had this need to win the Alpha’s approval. He’d always tried to be accepted but since meeting Jensen it seemed like everything he’d ever fought against was suddenly important to him. “That I’ll never be able to shift or that I won’t be a good Omega for you or…what did Mike mean about pups?”

Jensen froze and had never been so glad to hear Connie shouting for them to come to dinner as he was right then because he was in no way ready to explain that one to Jared. He’d bribe and beg Connie to explain that Omegas could, and usually did, become pregnant.

Dinner at Connie’s was never simple. It was always a full meal complete with meat, potatoes, sides, bread, and of course dessert. That night it was beef roast with vegetables, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans and corn, corn bread and muffins and several pies.

Jared wasn’t used to eating full meals or having a lot to choose from, so he mostly picked at what the kindly woman piled on his plate until he felt warm thoughts in his head telling him that he could eat what he wanted because Connie would always have more for later. After that, it seemed like Jared began to eat better.

After dinner and while Chris cleaned up, Connie caught Jensen’s eye and motioned to her private room which told the Alpha that she was ready to speak with them.

Jared was relaxed since his belly was full for the first time in a long time, but as Jensen squeezed his hand to whisper about following him, he tensed a little.

The little office like room was warm with pictures covering the wall, warm carpeting, and battered furniture. The house itself, the feel of it, put Jared at ease even if the fear of what was to come did not.

“So, Christian tells me those symbols you’ve been dreaming about, the ones you used to ask me about…you figured out what they were.” Connie stepped into the room, shutting the door, but she didn’t lock it as she lit some candles, giving the room a soft glow

“You knew what they were back then.” Jensen’s eyes narrowed and his temper spiked at that revelation, but he stayed quiet so he wouldn’t scare his mate. “You knew and didn’t tell me.”

“I suspected what they were from what I saw in your drawings,” Connie admitted, motioning for them to sit on the stuffed sofa while she took a seat in a small chair. “Your father knew what they were as well but believed it was better for you to learn of it on your own. He also assumed he’d be here to help you but…that didn’t turn out to be the…Jensen Ross Ackles, don’t you dare snarl in my home, especially not when you’re sitting beside that boy!”

“Jensen?” Jared had heard and felt the change and felt worry for the first real time since meeting Jensen. He knew he wasn’t the smartest Omega on the planet, but he was picking up that certain topics disturbed his Alpha and he wasn’t certain why. “Mad?”

Jensen took a deep slow breath so he could calm down before turning to meet big eyes. “No, I’m not mad, Jared,” he assured him. “It’s fine, babe. Let’s let Connie look at you and then get you up to bed so you can sleep.”

The older woman sat quietly, watching the pair with knowing eyes. She’d known Jensen nearly his whole life. She’d seen him grow up and she’d seen him when things changed, when he chose exile over the rule of an Alpha he didn’t respect.

She’d seen the brash, hot-headed Alpha in him, but now she was seeing another side, a softer, more protective side that she knew only this boy could bring out in him.

Connie watched as Jensen’s fingers moved over Jared’s face and down his arm in little soothing gestures as if coaxing him to remove his shirt so she could see the symbols.

Slowly Jared removed his shirt, leaning more into Jensen’s open arms to allow her to view his back first. He closed his eyes and dug his fingers into the soft shirt under them, waiting for whatever came.

“Oh, you poor sweet boy,” Connie whispered, stunned at what she saw. From what Chris had told her that Jensen had babbled to him the other night, she had some idea about what she might see, but she was still shocked by the number of binding symbols on the young man’s back and how deep some of them had been carved. “How old was he when this started?” She aimed this question at Jensen who she could see felt the pain from them through a link that was stronger than she knew it should’ve been this soon.

“He was probably three when the first one was put on,” Jensen replied, fingers gentle while carding back through soft hair to offer comfort. “His mother was killed when he was four and they progressed from there. His grandmother did most of them I think.”

Connie’s eyes whipped up to his, shocked by this. She waited a few moments as Jensen convinced Jared to shift so that the old woman could see some of the symbols on his chest and stomach.

Over the years, she’d seen many people use binding symbols for one reason or another, but one look at these told her exactly what they had been created for. “He’s of wolf blood?” she asked while gently touching the symbol on his chest that seemed to be fading away.

“His Dad,” Jensen confirmed, holding Jared tighter when he whimpered at the touch. “Does that hurt, Jay?” he asked in concern. “That one…in the jeep on the way here it…well, it looked like it was fading but…”

“What did you do just before it started to fade?” Connie asked, moving to a cabinet to take out some herbs. “Did you do something?”

“He…he stood up for me.” Jared’s voice was soft as if he was unsure whether he should speak or not, then his cheeks blushed as he let his lashes cover his eyes. “We…we…well, we kissed too.”

Jensen brushed the pad of his thumb along Jared’s cheek. He loved seeing that shy little smile and faint blush on his cheeks but also hoped to one day see more confidence as well. “Connie?”

“I can definitely help to relieve some of the pain. I can also probably remove or at least lessen of few of these, so he can start to heal from them…but the deepest ones? Like the one on the small of his back and a couple of the ones on his chest? Only you and he can remove those, Jensen,” Connie remarked while she mashed the herbs into a heavy cup before adding hot water to make a fragrant tea. “He needs to learn to trust not only in himself but also you as his mate, his Alpha. Jared needs to be taught the truth about being an Omega to a wolf, but more importantly, he needs to also begin to learn what being a wolf means for him. No matter how hard those evil, nasty, sadistic people who hurt him, who lied to him, tried to change it…this child is part wolf and has been denied his heritage long enough.

“Now for tonight, this tea will help to start the process that will come. It will also help to ease any pain he may feel. It should help break any hold that one damn symbol still has on him, but we’ll have to take him onto the reservation to see Vic to get his help with it. Vic will also be able to answer any questions you or he might have about how to help Jared begin to explore his wolf side.” She sensed the boy’s confusion and fear about that. “You were told being a wolf was evil, that it made you a sin?”

Jared nodded hesitantly, sniffing the cup she passed him and wrinkling his nose. “Momma…she ran away and met my Dad,” he told her while taking a cautious sip of the tea. After a moment, he drank the rest after deciding that it didn’t take as bad as it smelled. “I’m not sure if he’s still alive or…I don’t know…maybe he just didn’t really care after her parents, my grandparents, tracked her down and made her leave. They…they said he didn’t love her or me and no one would love me cause of what I am and then I became an Omega and…”

“I love you and those bastards didn’t deserve you or your Mom, sweetheart,” Jensen told him, rubbing a hand over Jared’s tense arm. “We’ll take care of one thing at a time and see what happens, but just believe that I will keep my promise to you. You are my mate, my Omega…and I will love and care for you always.”

“I…I can care for you too, right?” Jared yawned, feeling tired but not feeling the urge to fight the need for sleep like he would have normally. “I mean…you said that I wouldn’t be a…this all feels so weird after fighting this side for long, Jen.”

“I know it does, Jay.” Jensen couldn’t say he understood the inner struggle the Omega was going through because as an Alpha, he had no idea but he could sense Jared’s fears and confusion. “You won’t be a slave. I won’t expect you to follow a step behind me or listen to everything I say…unless it’s an order to keep you safe…I really would appreciate you following those orders.” He tipped Jared head up to see sleepy eyes watching him. “Unlike a lot of Alphas, I don’t mind if you have a life outside of our family or…” He bit his tongue because he knew that might bring up that one little question again.

Jared was tired and really wanted to get some sleep before his heat kicked in fully, but something reminded him that Jensen never did answer his earlier question. “Jensen? I know what all the classes in school said; I know things I heard others or my family say and then what Mike said…so I know the whole thing about Omegas having babies but…” He paused to bite his lip nervously. “Ummm, how does that work with wolves? I mean…God, I’m going to sound so stupid and I don’t wanna make you mad by asking what I should know but…”

Jensen had been hoping to bypass this whole conversation. He could hear Chris fighting back a laugh as he picked up on the conversation while Connie merely sat there smiling at him like he should be able to handle this. He suspected what Jared wanted to know and in truth, he wasn’t certain of the answer.

“Umm, I don’t actually know what we might have since you’re only half wolf,” he admitted while pulling Jared to his feet. He started towards the stairs, planning to head up to bed even though he sensed that neither of them would be getting much sleep soon. “Normally, wolf pups are born just that…pups and then when they’re about a year old, they shift for the first time. Our first time…if you do happen to be able to have babies…I’m not sure what they’ll be. Does that bother you?” he asked cautiously.

Jensen had stopped allowing himself to think about having a family of his own years ago, but since meeting his mate, the thought of starting a family of his own was becoming more appealing. He was determined, however, that he wouldn’t push Jared into anything, especially given how hard his own childhood had been.

“No, not like you’re thinking it does.” Jared smiled shyly, accepting Connie’s light hug goodnight as he slipped his hand into Jensen’s. “I overheard my uncle telling my grandfather once that since I was a half-breed no one, wolf or human, would want me. They thought they could probably rent me out to Alphas just looking to knot and move on since he was sure my grandmother had a symbol to keep the Alpha from knocking me up…Jensen, did you just break the railing?” He looked up at the sudden crack of wood to see that Jensen’s knuckles were white. “They said if I had kids or pups or anything, they’d be as messed up as I was so…now that I know that pretty much everything they said was lies, I was just curious about what the truth might be.”

“We’ll find out,” Jensen promised, running his hand over the cracked piece of wood and hoping that Chris could repair it. “Either way, it won’t matter what we have; I’d love them no matter what.”

Jared started to relax but then stopped and lifted his head suddenly, eyes wide. “Them? As in more than one?” He blinked and sat down on the bed as that sank in. “Momma just had me.”

“Your Momma was human and human Omegas are a little different than wolves. That’s why I said I wasn’t sure how it would be with us when, or if, we decide to start a family.” Jensen sat down beside Jared on the bed and held his hands tightly. “Don’t worry about making babies yet, sweetheart. Let’s take one thing at a time. We need to get you over this heat and see about the marks, and then I want us to really get to know one another so I can eventually take that step to claim you so everyone will know you’re mine. Then maybe we’ll think about a family.”

“I just thought you’d…y’know…this time or…” Jared’s face blushed beet red, lashes lowering as gentle hands cupped his face to tip it up. “It’s sometimes hard to tell the difference between what I’ve been told and what I’ve seen. I mean, you’re nothing like I was told Alpha wolves were, or even human Alphas cause you’re kind to me and not wanting to paw at me…bad pun, sorry. I’m so bad at…you’re going to kiss me, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I am.” Jensen smiled and proceeded to do just that. He kept the kiss light until he felt the Omega lean into it more and then he let it heat and deepen. “You taste like I always dreamed you would, Jay,” he murmured while moving until the boy was on his back, but Jensen knew he had to be careful right then. “I won’t mark you yet. Not because I don’t want to, but I want you to be clear-headed for it and I know you’re not that right now and won’t be for the next several days.” He licked over Jared’s lips until he heard a soft moan and felt his mate’s lips part on a sigh. “Soon, Jared. Soon things will start to get better and make a lot more sense for both of us.”

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

**Lone Wolf**

**[](https://imgbb.com/) **

**Chapter Five**

As it turned out “soon” seemed to take forever…at least it seemed that way to the frustrated young Omega as he battled for four days and nights through the worst heat he could ever recall having.

Jared had woken up soaked in sweat the very first night that he and Jensen had arrived in Elkton. At first he thought he might have come down with a fever due to too many nights sleeping out in the cold, but it didn’t take him long to realize it wasn’t a cold he was fighting but something else.

He’d usually been able to suppress his heats with pills, but having Mike switch them out meant there were no synthetic hormones in his system to help push the urges down or keep his scent from expanding more. The young Omega was almost too achy to move, but he really wanted to be off the bed. As he rolled over and started to push up, he realized with much horror and embarrassment that he’d soaked the blankets and probably the bed with sweat and his body’s own natural slickness that came with being an Omega.

Groaning softly, Jared froze at the touch of a firm hand in the center of his chest, which reminded him that he hadn’t gone to sleep alone in the guest bedroom.

“Stay.”

Jensen’s voice was deeper, huskier than normal, which told Jared that the Alpha was also being affected by his heat. That scared Jared just a little, but he stayed still, biting his lip while trying not to overthink what might happen next.

His body was desperately craving an Alpha’s knot to the point now that Jared’s fingers were trying to reach out to grab onto his Alpha only to hear a soft chuckle as firm hands caught his and held them against the bed.

“You got it bad, don’t you sweetheart?” Jensen had woken up fast with his body reacting to the closeness of an Omega in heat, but he had managed to calm himself down before Jared woke up.

Connie had given him some things to help both of them since Jensen was determined he would not knot his mate the first time just while he was in heat and not thinking clearly.

Jensen had knotted plenty of Omegas and Betas in his wild teenage years, and several more since but then, but he wanted his first time with his mate to be after he marked Jared…and he didn’t want to mark Jared until the boy was clear-headed and they’d had a little more time to actually get to know each other. It was important to him to show Jared that not every Alpha would hurt him or immediately try to fuck him…even though Jensen feared he’d be snarling and defending his mate if the scent was as bad as what Chris said from downstairs.

“If you’ll trust me, I’ll help you get through this.” He smiled softly when he saw glazed eyes watching him as Jared nodded instantly and Jensen brushed his lips over a sweat soaked brow. “Trust me, Jared.”

Jared trusted Jensen more than he had anyone since his mother died. The young, confused Omega also realized during one brief moment of lucidity that he was going to owe his Alpha big time once he was over this because he was fairly certain he’d done everything but tie Jensen down, trying to get the man to knot him.

The worst of the heat lasted about four nights which was four nights and five days of pure hell for Jared and, he figured, for Jensen as well since his Alpha hadn’t left his side except to go take cold showers, hand off soiled bed clothes to a very understanding Connie, and snarl at his friend if Chris even came close to the door.

The longest Jensen had been away from him was when it seemed the scent of his heat had attracted a few local Alphas who weren’t quite taking Chris’s refusal to let them into the home seriously. They did, however, take a pissed off Jensen very seriously after he snarled at one and bloodied the face of another.

Their hostess brought food up as well as cool drinks so Jared could stay hydrated as he fought his body, but it wasn’t food or drink that Jared found he craved so much as Jensen’s touch or the sound of his voice. The Alpha sat beside him with a damn fake knot that he worked into the Omega’s ass in an attempt to soothe the boy’s heat.

“Shhh, just calm down and let this do its job, Jay.” Jensen’s voice was ragged from pushing back his instinct to fling that fake knot across the room and show Jared what a real Alpha’s knot felt like, but he knew the boy was too far gone to really enjoy the experience and he was determined to keep his original promise…even if it resulted in him turning into a prune from all the ice cold showers he was taking in between bouts of soothing his mate.

Jensen had never actually stuck around long enough to see what an Omega went through when in the throes of heat. He would knot the Omega, give a few comforting words and then move on. He’d never realized how long the heat lasted or how intensely it affected the Omega. Now that he was up close and personal with the effects, Jensen found himself begging Connie to find some way to speed it up or do something that would at least allow Jared to sleep peacefully for an hour.

It seemed like the only time the boy slept was after he came from the inflated fake knot in his ass but then it seemed like he barely dozed off before the symptoms came back.

“Should it be this bad or last this long?” Jensen’s fingers were running through his hair, leaving the top in spikes; he had been in the shower when Jared’s heat kicked up again and now the young Omega was curled up in Jensen’s arms while his Alpha used the largest fake knot Chris could find in the town store, but even that didn’t seem to be helping the sobbing, frustrated Omega anymore. “Connie, I don’t know what to do for him. Help him!”

“You know what you have to do to help him, Jensen.” The elderly Beta stood inside the door taking in Jared’s deeply shadowed, exhausted face sadly. She understood why this heat was so much worse than what Omegas usually experienced. “His body, the wolf side of him, senses you, senses his Alpha. He knows his mate is with him and he craves your knot. These plastic toys will never satisfy him or soothe him like you can. I know what you’re trying to do and normally I’d commend you for your strength of will, but this is not the time to be proper, Jensen. Knot the poor boy and give him the relief he so desperately needs,” she said and then promptly turned and left the bedroom.

“J-Jen?” Jared seemed to have reached his breaking point finally; even his very first heat hadn’t seemed this intense. “Don’ you wan’ me?”

The boy’s words were slurred from too long without real sleep and also from trying to fight back the sobs of frustration as nothing was helping him now, but what nearly broke Jensen’s heart was the actual fear and doubt he heard with the question.

“Sweetheart, you know I want you but…” Jensen stopped when something clicked in his mind. How would Jared know that? He’d been lied to and hurt so often that right now, in the state of mind he was in, the young man probably actually believed he wasn’t good enough for Jensen to want to knot. “Jared…I…I wanted our first time to have some meaning…to be special…not just knotting because your heat demands it. I wanted to show you how love could be or…whoa!”

Jensen had grown used to his added strength as a wolf and an Alpha usually giving him the upper hand with most people, especially Omegas. He wasn’t expecting the sudden burst of strength that Jared showed when he grabbed onto his wrist, tugging him onto the bed fully with him. He also wasn’t expecting to see the flash of wildness in big, glassy, hazel eyes when Jared moved with an agility and swiftness that would impress Jensen later. Right then he was busy flipping them back over so he could straddle the writhing Omega until he got him pinned.

“I…know you want to give me all the stuff I never had, Jen.” Jared’s chest was heaving, his eyes dilated from both his heat as well as lust from finally having Jensen’s body pressed down onto him, clothes notwithstanding. “I know it. I…I want that too…when I can think straight. Nothing’s helping me now. I need…please…help me, Jen. Please…mhmm!”

Hot lips cut off the broken pleas when Jensen’s control snapped. His hands were on Jared’s face, lips and teeth gently teasing over his lips before moving along his jaw. “Shhh, I’ve got you now sweetheart. I promise, I’ll always take care of you.”

This wasn’t the ideal setting that Jensen had in mind for their first time together, but it would have to do. He was amazed at how quickly he could feel Jared relaxing just from this little bit of touching as he urged the Omega to roll over.

After days of using fake knots, huge dildos and other toys, it only took a glance to tell Jensen that he didn’t have to stretch or prep his Omega for this. In fact it took a low growl to remind the boy to stay still long enough for him time to shed his clothes and ask a couple of questions that got him a snort and a very definite un-Omega-like bitch face shot at him.

“Hmm, I think you could be a very toppy bottom if you weren’t in heat right now, Jay.” Jensen’s body was on fire, lusting after the Omega under him, but he was still trying to maintain enough control so that this would be about more than just sex.

Most of the Omegas he’d taken to bed had been quiet, docile, and willing to do what he said or go at his speed, but Jensen quickly was finding out that _his_ Omega, for all his shyness and insecurity, was not all that quiet or timid in bed. He wasn’t sure if this was how Jared would always be, or if was due to him being in heat this time.

“You’ve never actually been knotted, Jay?” he asked, voice low and much more gravelly sounding in his lust for Jared; his cock was already hard and Jensen knew it wouldn’t take long for this to happen because he could feel his knot already starting to swell. “Ever?”

“N-no.” Jared glanced back over his shoulder, eyes nearly all pupil, but there was a burst of fear when he looked at Jensen. “I…I don’t know what to do or…this’ll hurt, won’t it?”

“Maybe a little,” Jensen admitted, but before the fear could overwhelm the desire, he kissed Jared deeply while letting the head of his cock find the well stretched and slicked hole that would allow him entrance. “You’re stretched a good bit from the toys, so you should be pretty loose. Just listen to me and remember that I won’t hurt you…but once this happens we’re gonna be stuck together until my knot goes down too. Okay?”

Jared nodded again; he considered asking another question, but then lost his focus the moment he felt Jensen’s thick, long and hard cock sliding inside him…suddenly all other thoughts weren’t important.

“Oh my God!” he moaned, trying not to move; he meant to leave the control up to his Alpha, but Jared’s body was so strung out from days of heat and little relief that he wasn’t even aware of when he began to thrust back. “Jensen!”

“Next time I’ll give you the time you deserve when we make love,” Jensen promised thickly. His lips were pressed to the back of Jared’s neck to kiss him, but he also allowed his teeth to nip just a little, and he felt the boy go still as if a piece of him understood the gesture. “You’re so strung out this time that you probably won’t remember much of this but I hope you can still enjoy it a little bit.”

A little bit? Jared figured if he enjoyed the feel of Jensen’s body against him, his cock in him, and the sudden tug of what he knew was his mate’s knot tugging on the rim of his hole more than this, he’d end up in a coma.

As it was, he thought he still might end in one as he felt Jensen’s arms slip around his chest to bring him back more just as he felt the knot pulling tighter and Jensen’s thrusts got shorter. Jared let out a moan as his head was pulled back to allow hot lips to claim his in a deep, searing kiss.

Jensen felt his knot plumping with each thrust until he heard a moan of pleasure that he was pretty sure came from them both. He strived to give the boy pleasure when he found his prostate with his cock, and this time he knew the sound he heard was from Jared.

“Jen…please….wanna be yours!” Jared’s brain was mush, his body was on fire, but swore he could feel something changing the second he felt that knot bind him to his mate, locking them together in more ways than just the physical, but he knew he wanted one more thing. “Now! I…I don’ wanna wait. I want to be wear your mark…please?”

“Jared…” Jensen had wanted to give the Omega time to understand, to find out who he was as both Omega and a half-blooded wolf, but even as he fought the need to claim him right then, to sink his teeth into soft flesh and make Jared his for the world to know, he found his will slipping. The urge became impossible to ignore with the pleas pouring out of Jared and the feel of his body moving as best as he could on his cock, an act that wasn’t easy given that they were now fully knotted. “If…if I do this…there’s no going back,” he groaned against the throat that was bared on instinct.

“You…you said we were mates, that we were…supposed to be together…forever…so why would I want to go back?” Jared shot back without thinking. His long arm reached back, trying to find Jensen in order to get some contact and he felt his fingers touching hair that was just long enough for him to grab. “Do you…really love me, Jensen? Do you believe that we’re mates and that the dreams connected…oh!”

“Yes!” Jensen growled, giving up the fight and silently promised to give Jared slow and gentle later. Right then, however, both wolf and Alpha wanted more and there was no more denying his primal urges. “You’ve been mine since the first time I dreamed of your eyes, Jared. You were mine that night in the alley. I held back then, but no more. Mine!”

The last word was said in a low growl, but it was the emotion he felt between them that assured Jared that despite the danger he could almost taste, the pure Alpha sound in Jensen’s voice, that he would be safe.

He felt hot lips smooth over his neck and he wondered if the claiming would hurt. Despite the fear he should probably feel, Jared felt none because through it all, he heard Jensen’s voice in his mind soothing him. He felt a sharp pain in his neck that took him off guard for a moment, but then he was coming with a shout of his mate’s name as the combined feel of Jensen marking him and his knot pressing against his prostate pushed him over the edge. Seconds later hot come filled him as Jensen hit his own climax right after him.

Marking or claiming a mate was a final decision, one that Jensen had always said he wouldn’t make unless he found his true mate. As he felt his teeth sink into soft flesh and the taste of Jared filled his mouth, he both heard and felt his mate’s reaction. He closed his eyes and allowed the rush of feelings to hit him; he felt the bond between them increase even more as he gave one final thrust and felt his own orgasm come hard.

Jensen could hear the ragged gasps, the repeated use of his name, as Jared lost himself to the climax and he found himself overwhelmed by what had just happened between them. He smiled against Jared’s neck as he licked over the marks he had made, but then he had to suddenly tighten his grip when he heard a small whimper right before the boy in his arms went limp.

“Jared?” He was quick to adjust his grip, easing them down to the bed and turning so they’d be comfortable for however long it took for his knot to go down.

A soft sound from the Omega in front of him told Jensen that Jared was only sleeping; he had apparently been knocked out from the force of being knotted and the emotions that went along with the claiming. If Jensen was reading the change in scent correctly, for the first time in days Jared’s heat had abated enough for him to actually sleep in peace.

“Love you, Jay,” Jensen whispered with a soft kiss to Jared’s hair, settling to hold him until either his knot went down enough to slip out or his mate woke up. “I…son of a bitch.” He suddenly caught sight of Jared’s upper back and shoulders and ran a fingertip over symbols and marks that looked lighter, as if they were fading away with each new thing that Jared learned or that he experienced with Jensen. “It’ll be okay, sweetheart. You’ll never be alone again. And you will be safe. Just sleep now. You deserve it.”

Of course it scared Jensen out of his mind when Jared did sleep…for the next 28 hours, but Connie had assured him the boy was just exhausted and needed the prolonged sleep. It worried the Alpha, but he stayed beside his sleeping mate after he’d washed him off so he could sleep in soft sweats that he’d found in his bag.

Jared slept deeply, but he seemed to be aware if Jensen moved away from him because he would whimper in his sleep and curl in on himself until strong fingers were felt carding through his thick dark hair. Then he’d relax and snuggle closer to Jensen without another sound.

Jensen had just finished shaving on the second morning when he jerked his head toward the bedroom at a slight sound. He hurried back in and found himself pinned by big eyes, and then his arms were filled with Jared as the younger man rolled out of bed and rushed to him, long arms wrapping around him tightly and emotions pouring off of him.

“It wasn’t a dream. You’re still here. You stayed with me and helped me just like you said you would.” Jared’s words were muffled since he’d buried his face against Jensen’s neck, fingers roaming over bare skin. “I…oh, I slept…I didn’t mean to fall to sleep like that. I swear that next time I won’t…if there’s a…mhmm.”

The kiss shut him up and Jared felt his back bump into the cool tile of the bathroom wall while Jensen’s hands cupped his face. “I’ll admit you scared me a few times by sleeping as long as you did but Connie was right. You probably hadn’t been sleeping well before we met and then this heat took a lot outta you, so your body needed to recharge.” He loved to hear the little sounds Jared made when he kissed the spot just under his ear or along the hollow of his throat.

“Now you’re going to shower, change, eat some real food, and then you and I will go with Connie to see a friend of hers who can look at the marks that are still here. Then…I’d like to spend some time alone with you or…alone in my wolf form so you can start to adjust to it.” He moved his mouth over Jared’s jaw until he came back to his mouth. “I don’t usually shift a lot but there are times when I have to, and I want you to feel secure with that part of me. You felt my thoughts in that form back in Cody so I’m hoping you can now as well.”

Jared shuddered under the touch, very aware of the increased intensity of their link as well as the stronger scent of Jensen that he hadn’t noticed before. Then something Jensen said registered and Jared caught a glimpse of his back in the mirror. “What…why’re some of them going away like this?” he asked, surprised at what he was seeing and by the lack of pain when he knew he should’ve felt some since he could tell the other Alpha was still in the house. “Jen?”

“I’m not really sure, but we’ll find out soon, Jay,” Jensen promised as he gave his Omega another kiss before nodding to the shower. “Hit the shower while I get dressed.” He was quick to put a finger on Jared’s lips before the boy could say what he thought he was thinking about. “No, cause if you suggest we shower together, we’ll never get out of here. Besides, I’ve had enough showers over the last few days to last me all month. I’ll wait for you and I’ll stay close.”

And Jensen did. As Jared showered he could feel and hear his mate moving around in the bedroom. He was able to relax more as he realized he wasn’t alone, and he stayed relaxed while he ran a razor over the slight scruff that had grown during his heat. As they headed downstairs however, he began to tense up when he realized the scent of the other Alpha, Jensen’s friend, also seemed stronger to him.

“Jen?” he whispered, clinging to Jensen’s hand and trying to stay behind him. “Why does everything look and smell different right now?” he asked, confused. “Is it cause of what we did or…”

“I…I think it might have something to do with that.” Jensen wasn’t sure so he shot Connie a worried look while staying between Jared and Chris since he could feel the young Omega’s concern and caution. “Sweetheart, Chris isn’t a threat to you. No Alpha will ever be a threat to you now or I will rip their beating heart out and feed it to them.”

“Nothing like telling us how you really feel, Jensen,” Chris chuckled, holding out a mug of coffee. As he got closer to the pair, he caught the change in Jared’s scent a second before he caught the still visible mark on the boy’s neck. “You…” He cleared his throat as he was shot a sizzling look. “Okay then. I guess you know what you’re doing.”

Jensen felt his friend’s surprise that he’d moved this quickly but chose to ignore it since he did know what he doing. He also knew that Jared felt safer now that he showed a mark, even if a piece of the boy would always struggle for independence.

“C’mon, Jay, let’s get some food in you before we go see Connie’s friend. Chris is gonna stay behind and fix that boarded up window that I may or may not have thrown some asshole through the other day.” Jensen smirked at his friend while nudging Jared into the warm kitchen where he knew the smells of food would distract him.

Jared had gone right for the sweet rolls but paused with one halfway to his mouth to blink at his mate. “You put someone through Miss Connie’s window?” He stared as if shocked. “Why?”

“Because the yo-yo wouldn’t take no for an answer and said something I disagreed with…so I reacted.” Jensen shrugged while leaving out what had actually been said so it didn’t scare Jared to think how vulnerable he’d been while he was going through his heat. “Chris will fix it while we see about helping you.”

“You’ve already helped me so much.” Jared broke off a piece of his roll to share it with a shy smile. “Even if the rest of these symbols don’t go away or I can never learn to shift like you…so long as you can accept a mate who can’t shift like you then…huh?”

Fingers gently tipped his head up as Jared still had a hard time meeting his mate’s eyes when he spoke to him if nervous. He saw calm green eyes watching him as Jensen’s lips curved into a slow smile.

“Jared, I will never care if you can’t shift. I love you and will love you no matter what we face,” Jensen told him and meant it. “In fact, if you decide that you don’t want to go see this guy, don’t want to hear what he might be able to tell about your symbols or removing them or the odds of you learning to shift, then we’ll leave right now. We’ll go wherever you want to go. I want what makes you happy and makes you feel safe.”

Frowning a little at that, Jared considered it a moment before shaking his head. “I’m scared but…I do want to hear what he thinks about why some these are going away and how to get the rest to go or…or if I’ll ever be able to share that side of things with you.” He let himself lean into Jensen more but did bat his fingers away from the other half of sweet roll. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Babe, considering some of the things you’ve said to me recently, I’m pretty certain you can tell me anything you want,” Jensen chuckled, sighing as Connie slapped him on the head as a way of saying to let Jared eat. “What is it? Or do you want to wait until we’re alone?”

“When I was small, after Momma was killed, when I’d get scared, I’d sometimes dream that I could be a wolf like you…cause you made me feel safe.” Jared smiled his thanks for the loaded plate that was put in front of him. “I would dream that I could turn into a wolf so I wouldn’t be afraid of those people who went to the same church as my grandparents.”

Jensen took a chair close to his mate, resting his hand over a clenched fist until it relaxed and Jared began to eat. “What color wolf did you dream of?” he asked, hoping that if he talked and kept Jared distracted, the boy would eat. He was also interested in what kind of wolf his mate had thought he might be. “Black, white, grey, or…”

“I…I always imagined myself as more of a reddish brown wolf with spots of black with white on my ear tips.” Jared’s eyes dropped and his cheeks turned a light pink as he blushed from admitting that even his dream wolf form would be so different looking. “I guess that’s not what wolves look like since you’re a silver-grey and those ones in town were either straight black or brown or a couple grey ones. I’m sure if I ever can turn I’ll be a normal color and…”

“That would be a normal color if that is what you turn out to be, Jay,” Jensen assured him while shooting Chris a look to keep his mouth shut. Both men knew that what Jared had described _was_ an unusual coloring, but it was not unheard of. Jensen had heard rumors of a pack of wolves living on the North Dakota border that had coloring like Jared had described, but no one had seen any of these wolves in years. “Besides, fur doesn’t make the wolf. Like with humans, it’s the heart that beats inside the wolf that makes it what it is, and your wolf heart would be just as huge as it is now.”

Jared’s dimples showed as he smiled. The boy still seemed startled that someone might believe in him or care for him like Jensen seemed to. “When can we go see Miss Connie’s friend?” he asked while finishing his breakfast, eager to find out what they could learn.

“Right now if you’re ready,” Jensen returned with a smile, hoping he didn’t seem as nervous as he felt. He hadn’t been to the Wind River Reservation years, and the odds of him running into someone who had known him or who still resided on the land his pack called home were huge, and he didn’t want Jared involved in that mess if he could possibly help it.

Leaving Chris at the house, Jensen drove his jeep with Connie supplying directions from the back seat, as she insisted that Jared share the front seat with his mate. It was a short drive from Elkton to where they needed to go, and Jensen drove slowly once he saw how Jared was enjoying the scenery.

Wind River hadn’t changed much since the last time Jensen had visited. Some things had closed, others had opened, but more importantly, he hadn’t seen anyone yet he might now or who might know him.

Jensen honestly didn’t give a crap if his presence was reported back to the asshole Alpha who’d claimed control of his pack 15 years earlier. He’d been exiled from the pack, not the goddamn state of Wyoming, so he could come and go as he pleased. It was just the hassle of possibly running into the arrogant bastard or his pack of rabid dogs that Jensen wanted to avoid, especially now that he was with Jared.

“Do people ride horses around here or just drive cars?” Jared was trying to look in every direction at once, twisting around to get a better look at something they’d passed. “I mean, I know real life isn’t like what I’ve seen on TV, but I’d love to see a real horse just once. I love animals. They’re a lot nicer than most people.”

“We’re in Wyoming, Jared. A lot of people have horses, but they don’t bring ‘em to town much.” Jensen glanced over to smile at the wistfulness on Jared’s face. “If you want to see horses, I’m pretty sure I can arrange that before we move on to wherever we decide to go.”

“Thanks, Jensen!” Jared’s dimples were out in full force at that, happy that he wasn’t being made fun of over his love of animals. “I…I guess with you being a wolf that having a kitten would be out, huh?”

As Connie snickered from the rear seat, Jensen glanced over to offer a slow smile. “If you want a kitten, then I guess it could learn to coexist when your mate shifts forms…and I could probably learn to share you with another ball of fur. I think I’d have to draw the line though at hamsters or those other little rodent-like things that live in cages and run in wheels.” Jensen gave an exaggerated shudder.

Jared’s laugh was pure joy and the best thing that Jensen could recall hearing in years; he decided to make it his mission in life to make Jared laugh as often as possible. The car swerved as he suddenly had long arms wrapped around his neck to allow Jared to kiss his face between laughs. “Thank you! Thank you! And no, no hamsters or other things or…”

“Jay?” Jensen was trying to pay attention to his driving, but he needed to see what had caused the sudden halt in words and the brief sense of unease he felt in his mate. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Is something hurting?”

Jared had pulled back to glance back down the street where he thought he’d caught a glimpse of a man on the street corner. He hadn’t gotten a good look, but something about the person had tugged at him uneasily, like a memory he should know but was unable to pinpoint. Now as he looked back down the street, the sidewalk was empty and he finally shook it off as his imagination.

“Nah, it’s nothing,” he assured Jensen but his smile was slightly dimmer. He noticed that they were slowing down and pulling up to a battered old garage like building with wooden statues of animals littering the front yard. “Wow…those are…those are cool.”

“Vic’s an artist who likes to carve wood or work in metal,” Connie replied as she got out of the Jeep and looked around. “He said he might be in the back, so we’ll head that way. He knew we were coming so he’ll be around this mess somewhere.”

Jensen stepped around the Jeep and slipped Jared’s hand into his, giving it a quick squeeze. He felt how cold it was and also noticed the slight tremors. “We don’t have to do this, Jared,” he remarked quietly. “I know this has to be moving really fast for you so if you want to back off and wait, we can.”

“I’m…I am scared,” Jared admitted, eyes staring at the gravel driveway until fingers tipped his face up and he saw that Jensen was simply listening and not judging him. “I don’t want you to learn that I’m never going to be a wolf or that I might always have these marks or…that I’m just wrong like they said I was or…”

“Hey, I loved you when you had all those symbols. I loved you knowing what they were and how they might affect you. I meant when I said I loved you and that we were meant to be together. I want you to do this for you, Jared, not for me.” Jensen brushed the back of his knuckles along Jared’s cheek and felt him lean into the touch. “I meant it when I said that I…”

A sudden scent had Jensen’s ears pricking up and the hair on the back of his neck bristling. He turned even as instinct had him stepping in front of Jared and nudging the younger man back a few steps. His eyes were sharp as they peered off into the distance, lips curving into a slow sneer. “Go join Connie in the back, Jared.” He spoke slowly and was careful to keep his tone level, but he still felt Jared’s concern and guessed the Omega could pick up his moods better than he expected this soon.

“Jensen? What’s…” Jared had caught the change in his mate the moment it happened. It had been like a switch was thrown in Jensen and the Alpha who had been so kind and gentle with him seemed to slip away to be replaced by the same gravelly voiced one he’d first heard speak in that alley back in Cody. Then he saw the reason and went rigid. “J-Jen?”

“Get in the back and stay with Connie, Jared. They’re not here for you. This is about me.” Jensen stepped away from his mate but refused to shift as he stared at the small pack of wolves, maybe a half dozen, that stepped from the tree line. “Go, Jay. Now.”

Jared didn’t want to leave Jensen, but he knew he’d only end up being more of a distraction than a help since he couldn’t even shift yet. He hoped that maybe Connie or her friend would be able to help in some way so against his better judgment, he turned and hurried down the walkway where the woman had gone.

The second he sensed Jared was a safe distance away, Jensen eyed the wolf he knew was in charge; he could easily pick out the wolf’s scent and he also recognized the furry body. “I figured when Welling made an ass out of himself the other day, you were somehow involved. He the go-to snitch these days, Hartley? Or was it luck that I just happened to come back on a day when he was there?”

The grey wolf that took a step away from the others while the rest of the small group fanned out stopped to eye Jensen with something akin to disdain, lips curling to reveal sharp teeth. ‘ _You forget the rules, loner?_ ’ The wolf’s thoughts were heard clearly even though Jensen didn’t shift to his own wolf form. ‘ _You chose exile. You chose…_ ’

“I chose exile over some goddamn bastard who didn’t deserve to be named pack leader and he sure as hell didn’t deserve the respect of the pack,” Jensen shot back, knowing that by not shifting he was showing his disgust of the wolves from his former pack. “Anyway, choosing exile just means I can’t go back on pack land, jackass. Nowhere in the agreement did it say I can’t come back to the state…but don’t worry, Justin…as soon as I complete my business here, I’ll be gone and I will never step foot back in this goddamn state again.”

‘ _Tom said you brought an Omega with you, loner. You finally find one that can stand you or that you can push around_?’ The wolf’s head lifted as he gazed in the direction that Jared had gone. ‘ _Maybe he should face some real Alphas. He seems to have you wrapped around his finger from the way you were fawning over him. Tom said it looked you were coddling the hell out him when he jumped you back in Rejectville. You willing to fight for him, loner?_ ’ the wolf asked, planting its front paws while its head went back to let out a low howl as if in challenge.

“He’s claimed; you can’t touch him.” Jensen sensed the movement of the other wolves and knew they were surrounding him. He also knew the hassle it would cause if he shifted and got into a damn fight with any of them, and he knew the damn leader knew it as well. “He’s a kid, Hartley. He’s got nothing to do with your hatred for me. You want to come onto the reservation and jump me with a bunch of your lowlifes like you tried in high school, then go for it…but try to touch what’s mine? I’ll rip your damn throat out.”

Jensen had just shed his jacket to give himself better movement when he heard a strangled cry that was accompanied by a burst of pain, and he knew both were from Jared. He began to whirl to look, checking to see if one of the damn wolves had snuck past him, only to realize his mistake.

Arrogant Alphas in alleys were one thing, but pack-raised Alpha wolves were quite another. Even though there were three Alphas in this group, the grey wolf was clearly the most dangerous; it lunged the moment Jensen’s attention turned from him, teeth and claws extended. The wolf planned to rip the exiled Alpha open with one swipe and then claim the Omega with him for his own.

“ _Jensen_!”

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

**Lone Wolf**

**[](https://imgbb.com/) **

**Chapter Six**

_“Jensen!”_

The scream tore through Jensen Ackles’ mind and heart. He sensed the danger, heard the growl, and was just starting to shift when the sound of a shotgun firing and a high-pitched yelp of pain came. The other wolves that had been circling were quick to back off.

The grey wolf that had been lunging at Jensen dropped and just as quickly shifted to his human form, a tall slender young man with wavy blond hair. He had specks of blood on his upper arm from where he’d been grazed by the silver buckshot pellets fired from the shotgun that was now being leveled at the next wolf that was snarling.

“You all can get your goddamn asses off my property or the next load of silver does more than graze!” The loud, deep voice that growled the warning came from a rough looking man standing at the corner of the place with a shotgun held steadily in his fists.

Victor Redding was a native to the Wind Rover Reservation. He was full-blooded Shoshone and had lived on the reservation for his entire 65 years except for when he served in the army. The 6’2” Native American looked half his age and kept in shape so now as he stepped forward to glare at the blond man, he was clearly unafraid of the wolves.

“You know the Tribal Council said your people could only come onto Wind River as long as you minded your business and kept those wild dogs that Rolston’s let into the pack under control, Hartley!” he snapped, voice deep and rough; he pumped the weapon even as he was aiming it at a sleek black wolf. “If you came here today just to jump this man or threaten him then I’ll make damn sure that gets back to the big boys and we’ll see how welcome you’ll be next time.

“Being exiled from a pack doesn’t mean that the wolf in question isn’t allowed in the state. He’s certainly allowed to visit places close to his former pack land and you know it, boy! Now, take my advice. Take these punks and get the hell out of my sight before I decide to fill your arrogant ass with more than silver buckshot cause I have actual rounds in my pocket and I will use ‘em.”

Justin Hartley stood up to glare at the man with a sneer. The 30 year old didn’t think anyone human deserved his respect, but he knew how to play the game on the reservation. He also knew the damn old man wasn’t bluffing and would shoot him so giving a sharp whistle, he drew his friends back with a motion of his head. “This isn’t over, Ackles!” he called while backing away, hate plain in his eyes. “You were told not to come back! You made the choice! We’ll see what the Alpha has to say when we tell him that you…”

Another blast from the shotgun fired. “Rolston might be the Alpha in your pack but he ain’t got no say in what this boy does now or where he goes. You cause him trouble here or over in Elkton and that might just be a mistake that bastard can’t talk his way out of. Now git!”

Jensen’s gaze hadn’t left the glare aimed at him but the moment the wolves were out of sight, he was whirling. “Where’s Jared?” he demanded, shoving past the older man without a care about the shotgun; all he could focus on was the fear and pain he’d felt earlier. “Jared!”

“The boy’s fine. He just got scared at first cause I had a metal poker in my hand from something I was doing. That seemed to freak him out and he pushed me away. He might have a little burn on his hand, but nothing serious,” Vic said quickly, trying to calm the Alpha down as he followed Jensen around the house toward a large shed. “You got yourself a skittish Omega there.”

“I know,” Jensen shot back shortly. He saw Connie in the yard, but ignored her as he went straight for the back of the shed where he sensed his mate was hiding behind a bunch of fresh cut wood. “He was branded and burned as a child, so seeing any kind of branding iron or poker probably would scare him.” He knelt down slowly. “Jay? Hey, it’s okay now. I’m here. Those jackasses are gone and you’re safe. I’m guessing this is the guy we came to see, Connie?”

“Yes, and I swear Vic’s not as scary or fearsome as he just made himself out to be.” Connie slapped the man on the arm while giving him her best look of exasperation. “I didn’t have time to tell him to lose the poker before Jared came running to tell me about those pests. Can you get him to…well, I guess you can.” She watched with a soft smile as slowly a hand slipped out to catch the one that Jensen was holding out. After a few quiet words of comfort, she saw the shy and now uneasy Omega slide his tall body out and into Jensen’s arms.

It took some soothing but slowly Jensen got Jared to calm down enough that he could brush his hair back out of his eyes and get him to his feet. The Omega was still eyeing Vic warily as his Alpha seemed to size the man up.

“Did Connie tell you about Jared or what she wanted you to look at?” Jensen finally asked after deciding the guy, an Alpha, was safe to trust.

“Yeah, c’mon into the house where I have some stuff set up.” Vic went ahead to open his home, giving Jensen time to reassure the wide-eyed younger man with him that he wouldn’t hurt him. “The Alpha know his Omega is a half-breed?” he asked Connie quietly, wincing when she slapped him again. “Fine, does he know the kid’s half wolf?”

“Yes, of course he does.” Connie rolled her eyes and then frowned. “What is it?” she asked suddenly when she caught her long-time friend staring at Jared. “Vic? Did you pick up something else? He just got down from a bad heat so that…”

“No, it’s nothing like that. It’s just he…reminds me of someone I know…or knew.” Vic shook his head, but still there was something about this boy that was tugging at his memory. “What’s his name, Connie?”

“Jared Padalecki,” the Beta answered as she recalled hearing Jensen use the boy’s full name once during a fit of exasperation the other night. “Vic? Victor? What the hell is your problem?” she demanded when she noticed the man’s eyes narrow suddenly as he shot the pair coming in the back door a hard look. “You tell me now cause it won’t take Jensen much now to snap if he feels Jared’s in any danger.”

The man went about lighting candles in the small living area that already had some scented incense and candles lit. “I’m fine, Connie,” he reassured her with a slow smile that almost reached his eyes. He looked up when he heard a small laugh at something Jensen whispered to the still shaken Omega. “I’ll tell you about it later. Help me move the coffee table out of the way. You said he had binding marks on his body?”

“Not as many as he had when they first met or even when they got to me,” she nodded. She noticed the way Jensen was looking around the place and knew he was scenting it out, making sure they were alone and that there were no threats to Jared. “They somehow seem to be fading away on their own…I think it’s happening as their bond strengthens with each new thing they do or as the boy learns the truth about who he is from Jensen. They all seem to be fading except for a couple…and those are the ones I wanted you to take a look at. They’re obviously different.”

Vic nodded and turned to the young men. “Jared, my name is Vic.” He motioned them to enter and have a seat on the floor in front of the fireplace. “Forgive the seating but for this, I’d prefer to keep you close to the fireplace and also this is where I do a lot of my work. Connie tells me that you have some symbols on you that I should look at. May I?”

Jared only sat once Jensen had, and he made sure to stay close enough to his mate so that Jensen’s hand was on his at all times. He wasn’t exactly scared of this man, but he still didn’t feel fully at ease with him either. He was also nervous about what he might say once he saw the remaining symbols.

“My…grandparents put them on me when I was little,” he murmured, fingers shaking as he slowly removed his shirt, allowing the long black-haired older Alpha to see them. He leaned toward Jensen as if needing the support. “They…hated what I was and said the marks would keep wolves from scenting me and keep that side from ever coming out.

“They used to hurt when I got close to wolves. Now that one on my shoulder and the one on my lower back and stomach seem to hurt a little, but not like before.” He glanced at Jensen before watching the way the other man’s bronzed face looked grim as he studied the remaining symbols and marks. “A lot of them went away since I met Jensen. I don’t know why. Do you think these ones will go or…will they stay and…” He paused to bite his lip, fighting the urge to cringe away when fingers reached to touch the one on his lower back. “I…I want to make Jensen proud of me and I don’t want people or wolves or stuff to think he got stuck with a useless Omega for his mate. Will I ever be able to shift with these marks on me?”

Jensen was frowning as he heard Jared say this but before he could interject, he caught something on Vic’s face that pulled his attention. “What?” he demanded lowly, letting his fingers smooth over Jared’s arm. “Why did some of them go away? I didn’t think binding symbols could be removed without a ritual, if even then.”

“Usually they can’t,” Vic confirmed, being careful not to scare the Omega as he leaned in to take a closer look at the one on his back. “It depends on the skill of the person who put them on and also the intent they were put on with or…the intent of his mate.” He lifted his eyes to look Jensen straight in the eye. “The first one that faded…what did you do right before it happened?”

“He’d protected me again and then…we were kissing.” Jared’s cheeks went pink as he spoke up before Jensen did. “I’d asked him to kiss me and the one started to hurt but then it went away.”

“Huh,” Vic grunted while nodding. He moved to begin to gather some herbs while asking Connie to go brew some tea since when he made the stuff it was usually strong enough to eat through metal. “And what did your Alpha do when some of these others began to fade?” he asked, but figured he knew the answer just by the way Jared’s eyes dropped, his cheeks flamed, and Jensen coughed. “Okay, I’m old enough to have a hunch about what you two got up to considering Connie said Jared’s just gotten over his heat and I can see your claiming mark on him…so yeah, this actually makes sense.”

“What does?” Jensen wanted to know, moving closer to let his arm go around Jared. “How does kissing or…helping him over his heat explain these going away?”

“Because the assholes who put them on him just wanted to keep him away from wolves in general, especially his father’s pack from the look of the one on his stomach. They didn’t bother to bind against his mate since they probably didn’t think he’d ever find you.” Vic took a mug of steaming tea and stirred his herbs into it while murmuring lowly before holding it out to a confused Jared. “Sip this. I promise it won’t hurt you. It’ll help in the next step.”

Jared started to take a sip only to freeze as his hazel eyes lifted while Jensen tensed. “Next…step?” he asked cautiously. “What…what’s that?”

“I can’t remove all of them fully, but I can lessen their power. That way, as you heal and Jensen teaches you more about becoming yourself and about what being part wolf means, they will begin to disappear like these others have done,” Vic told him. He held out a book with various symbols that both Jensen and Jared recognized. “The one on your stomach is the one that I can help the most with. It was put there to not only block your scent from other wolves, but mainly to keep your scent from being picked up by anyone in your father’s pack or…your father in particular.”

“What?” Jensen frowned, catching the mug when Jared began to cough. “What was in this?” he demanded, voice dropping low in warning even as Connie’s hand was touching his arm. “Jared?”

“Why…why would they care about blocking me from him?” Jared asked, edgy like he got whenever his father was brought up. “They said his family didn’t approve of Momma cause she was human.”

“Jay, calm down.” Jensen pulled Jared against his side while eyeing the older man closely. “What do you know that you aren’t telling us yet?”

“I know plenty, wolf, but right now what I know might help you help him.” Vic heard the unspoken growl in Jensen’s voice and knew his protective Alpha was rearing up, but he carried on with what he was saying. “Jared, your grandparents, or whoever they had put this symbol on you, didn’t trust wolves. They obviously hated them so they put this sigil on you just in case. This blocks your father or someone from his pack from recognizing his scent on you…because even though you don’t know him and have been around humans most of your life, a wolf from your father’s pack could easily recognize your scent without this.

“I can lessen it, but I can’t remove it…I think I might know someone who can…if I can get a hold of him.” Vic sat back down and looked at Jared, offering a calm smile. “I can also lessen the others so that as you continue to grow into this new life, and Jensen continues to help you learn, they will also fade.” The man hesitated before continuing. “But this one on the small of your back? This is the one with the most power…and it’s the one keeping you from shifting.”

Jared’s hand automatically went to the very first mark he could recall being put on him when he was three years old. “Will it ever go away?” he asked curiously, chewing his lip. “Will I ever be able to shift or...not?”

“That depends on you,” Vic replied. “The reason these others started fading away is because Jensen taught you that the lies you were told weren’t true. He taught you that you could be safe, and that there’s more to your life than you ever thought there was.”

He ran a hand over the barely visible symbol over Jared’s heart; the one that had been the first to disappear. “When you asked him to kiss you, you took a step to trust that Jensen. You trusted that he wouldn’t hurt you or go too far…even though you were an Omega used to being looked at for one thing and one thing only. These others left when Jensen helped you through your heat and when he marked you as his.

“I can tell that you still believe many of the lies that you were told…and until you can let go of that life and accept this new one, accept Jensen fully, accept yourself as what you truly are, the rest of these marks won’t fade fully and you won’t be able to shift.” Vic lit a bowl of sage and herbs, and a slow billow of white smoke began to rise. “I understand from what little Connie’s told me that your life has not been easy. You’ve been hurt and abused and never allowed to embrace your true nature, but if that’s something you want, then you can still claim that life.” He glanced to Jensen before back to Jared. “You found the Alpha that was meant for you, little wolf, and he will help you grow into the Omega that you were meant to be…stubborn human side notwithstanding.”

Jared was frowning when he heard a soft chuckle from beside him and shot Jensen a narrowed look. “I thought you said it was the wolf side that made me fight giving in like an Omega is taught to? Have…have I been too stubborn, Jen?” he asked, worry appearing in his eyes as he feared he wasn’t doing something correctly. “You know if I have been or if I annoy you that you just have to tell me and…”

Jensen’s lips pressed a soft kiss to the center of Jared’s forehead. “I like that you’re stubborn, Jared. It means that you’re strong. Omegas are not meant to be submissive – some Alphas just want them to believe that. I don’t want a mate who’s docile or a doormat. I want one who’s strong-willed enough to stand up to me when I get too full of myself.” He slipped his hand up to curve over the side of Jared’s face. “You are perfect for me and I will help you to get over whatever we face from your past…and my own. I promised to talk to you about my past and I will…but not here, okay?”

“Whenever you want to, Jensen.” Jared felt more at ease just from that simple touch to his forehead. Then he remembered they weren’t alone and blushed. “Umm, sorry. You were saying something about lessening these?”

Vic laughed as he watched the pair. He’d seen plenty of Alphas and Omegas in his life, but it had been a long time since he’d seen a pair like these two. It pleased him to see an Alpha like Jensen, especially since he was an exiled wolf, not acting like testosterone filled, arrogant bastard like so many wolves did. He liked to see the caring way he treated Jared, how he seemed to know exactly how to soothe the nervous Omega. He had seen a good many Alphas just ignore their nervous mates or scorn them.

“Yes, if you want to let me and Connie do some old fashion shaman stuff, I think we can reduce the power of these symbols so that as you heal, so will they, and maybe one day you will be able to shift.” He reached over to take one of Jared’s hands and looked at the smooth palm before laying it in Jensen’s hand. “If it’s really what you want, then one day you will run through trees and woods with your Alpha.”

“I…I think that’s one of the reasons I’ve always loved woods and forests and stuff.” Jared glanced down at the feel of fingers meshing with his and relaxed slightly. “I used to…Jen? Did you always see my dreams?” he asked suddenly, feeling his head start to spin as the smoke swirled around him.

“Yeah, usually I could see what you dreamed so…yeah, I think I know the one you mean.” Jensen could recall when he’d been about 14 and his mystery dream friend had actually dreamed he was a pup and they’d played and roamed the woods near Jensen’s pack lands. He leaned in close to whisper something that made Jared’s dimples pop out as he smiled fully even as his cheeks turned pink. Suddenly, Jared began to list sideways and Jensen grabbed him to hold him upright. “Jay? Jared? What’s wrong?”

Vic nodded to Connie who placed several pillows on the floor. “The herbs in the tea along with the herbs in the smoke will put him slightly to sleep. That way any pain he feels won’t be as bad.”

“Pain? What the fuck do you mean ‘any pain he feels’?” Jensen growled, feeling Jared tense in his arms as his fear level spiked. “Connie? No one said anything about Jared being hurt or in pain! I’m not letting you hurt him!”

“Jensen, please trust Vic. He won’t do anything to endanger Jared, but to lessen these marks, there will be some pain.” Connie tried to explain, but she felt the young Alpha tensing and knew how dangerous Jensen could be right now since he felt the need to protect his mate. “Please, just lay him on the pillows and move…”

“Can I hold him?” Jensen was not budging from his mate’s side and he’d take Jared out of this place at the first sign that this, whatever this was, might harm him rather than help.

Vic considered it and finally nodded. “Yes, you can hold him,” he replied. “He was in considerably more pain when these marks were inflicted than he will be now. If I had more time to get to know him, to gain his trust, then there might be another way, but right now this is the easiest way to at least start the procedure. Hopefully you can complete as he grows used to you and your bond.”

“Do you want me to tell you how many nights I woke up in agony because I felt what was being done to him by those sadists?” Jensen growled. He forced himself to relax, fingers carding back through Jared’s hair as the tea worked to settle him into a semi-sleep. “I know the pain these marks caused him and I also know I don’t want him hurt more!”

“Then when will you tell him about your past?” Connie spoke up from where she’d been mixing some herbs and liquid into a paste. “Rolston will find out you’re here and even if you’re not breaking the agreement, you know he will more than likely try to cause trouble for you. If Jared knows nothing about your past, he’ll be confused.”

Jensen knew all that. He knew he needed to explain why he’d been exiled and the reasons he hated the man who had become pack leader; he knew he had to explain what he’d lost and so much more, but he’d been trying to give Jared time to get to know him before dropping all of that on him.

“I’ll tell him soon,” he told her, nose wrinkling at the smell of the paste. “What will this do besides burn my nose hairs off?”

“The paste will begin to negate the binding spells used on the marks. It will burn him because the herbs will be pulling out the dark intent that was used when they were put on him to begin with,” Vic explained, and then he began chanting in a language that Jensen didn’t recognize as he spread the paste over the deepest symbols still on Jared’s body. “He won’t feel the actual pain but…” He paused as Jared let out a sudden moan, body tensing in Jensen’s arms. “He will relive the memory of the symbols being put on.”

Jensen’s eyes went to a dark green in a flash. “This had better work and not cause him more pain or injury or it’ll be you I hurt!” he snapped, closing his eyes while holding Jared tighter in his arms and using their link to try to explain what was happening. “The pain will stop soon, Jay. Just focus on me and not the memories. You’re not that scared little boy anymore and I will protect you.”

“T-take…you…away too.” Jared’s voice was strained, his eyes clenched tightly against the burning pain he could feel deep in the marks. His fingers grabbed onto Jensen’s hand with a lot more strength than he normally would’ve had as he struggled not to scream. “Like…Momma.”

“No, Jared, no.” Jensen could see the images flashing in Jared’s mind; he saw a scared little boy being held down by adults while those marks were put on him; he saw him watching in terror as his mother was murdered in front of him by her own family; he saw the years of abuse and belittling his mate had been forced to endure. “No one will take me from you. I survived 15 years on my own with no family, no pack, because I was meant to find you. You and I were meant to find each another, and I swear to you that I will not let anyone take that from us.” He pressed Jared’s hand over his heart. “I will not let anyone take you away from me or vice versa.”

Jared wanted to believe that. He wanted to hope that everything Jensen said was true but there was something in the pit of his stomach that made him feel like this mate wasn’t telling him something very important. He tried to focus on that, but suddenly as the pain left him, it was hard for him to stay conscious. “I wanna be a wolf one day, Jen,” he mumbled. “Gonna make you proud of me.”

“I’m already proud of you, sweetheart. You’ve made me proud just by coming here and trying to do this,” Jensen told him softly, seeing lashes fluttering and feeling the body in his arms beginning to go limp as the pain subsided. “Sleep now, Jay. Just rest and I’ll be here when you wake up.” He let his fingertips caress over pale cheeks before lifting his eyes. “Did that do anything more than bring back his pain?”

“You should notice a slight change in his scent as well as the intensity of the marks when he wakes up…but just remember that lessening the one mark will allow other wolves to realize he’s more than a plain Omega. They will be able to scent him as a half-blood.” Vic noticed the twitch in Jensen’s jaw. “Some of your kind don’t care for wolves mating with humans.”

“There are humans who feel the same so yeah, I get it.” Jensen didn’t care for those individuals – human or wolf. He’d been raised by parents who felt that if a pair was supposed to be together, then it didn’t matter if one was wolf or human; love was what mattered. That’s how he felt for Jared and he didn’t care what anyone else might think of it. “You said you knew someone who might be able to help with this one on his stomach? Who?”

Vic had been putting away the items he’d used during the last two hours of exhausting work. He paused to look back to see that Jensen had allowed Connie to help him get the young Omega back into his shirt and jacket.

Jared’s bangs were in his face and in his sleep the young man looked innocent, as if he didn’t have a care or worry in the world and the Shaman wished that was the case.

“Just someone I used to know; someone who has some more experience with the pack of wolves his bloodline came from,” he shrugged in reply. “I’m going to try to get in touch with him, but I don’t know how easy it’ll be. He…fell into a bottle nearly 25 years ago when he lost his mate.”

“Great, thanks, sounds like he’ll be a big help.” The sarcasm was plain in Jensen’s voice. Right then he just wanted to get Jared back to Connie’s place so he could sleep this off and maybe then they could talk.

Vic walked them out even though his offer to help carry the sleepy and clingy Omega to the Jeep had been refused with a snort. Connie gave the man a more polite refusal and thanked him for his help as Jensen settled his mate in the front seat so if Jared started to wake up, he’d be able to feel him and Jensen could touch him, unlike if he was in the back seat.

“This is the first time since that all happened with his pack that Jensen’s allowed himself to care for another person.” She spoke softly but knew Jensen’s hearing would still allow him to pick up her words. “He’s protective.”

“He better be, given the trouble that could come his way if that bastard Alpha decides to cause him problems.” Vic noticed the way Jensen’s eyes scanned the area now as if looking for any signs of trouble. “Rolston’s got people scared, Connie. He might make it seem like he’s a caring wolf who wants to expand his pack’s connections with humans, but he ain’t nothing but a lying bastard. People won’t help the boy if anything happens cause that pack of wild dogs Rolston has working for him have made too many people, wolf and human, disappear before.”

“Gee, and it ain’t like that’s what I tried to say back then or anything.” Jensen spoke up as he turned from shutting the jeep door to face the Native American Shaman. “I tried to tell the pack council that Rolston was a lying bastard just looking for power and a place to set up shop so his buddies would have a place to run free and wild but no, I was just a grief stricken son who wouldn’t bow down to him when they bought his lies that he could bring in fresh blood to the pack.”

“You could still go back and challenge him, Jensen.” Connie had known how hard losing everything, home, family, and birthright, had been on Jensen. She knew that was part of the reason he’d become so hard and jaded these last 15 years, but she hoped Jared would able to change that. “The pack can’t refuse you that right.”

Jensen’s face hardened as he thought of those last weeks with his pack before looking in at his sleeping mate. “Let him have it. They chose him over the pack’s rightful heir so let him run it into the ground. So long as he and they leave me alone, I’ve got nothing to say to any of them. I have what I need.”

“If only things were that simple,” Vic muttered after the Jeep pulled away. He headed inside to make a call. He knew exactly where his friend was. It was going to be more a matter of convincing him of what he believed and getting him sober enough to want to help a young man who desperately still needed a father figure in his life.

It was dark outside by the time Jared woke up. He was lying on the bed in what he recalled was Miss Connie’s house so he guessed that after he passed out or whatever happened, Jensen had brought him back here to sleep it off.

Pushing up to an elbow, he looked around before looking down; then he went to find a mirror so he could see if anything had changed.

The Omega knew something must be different because usually whenever he woke up, even after meeting Jensen, he was wary or confused, but this time he actually felt fairly relaxed and there was hardly any pain from any of the marks.

As he looked, Jared noticed the symbols were still visible, but the ones on his back and shoulders didn’t look as deep and a few others seemed to have faded some more. Then he looked up with a frown when he realized he’d woken up alone when Jensen had said he be with him.

‘ _I am with you, Jay_.’

Jared gasped and knew it would take him years to get used to the sound of his mate’s voice in his head when he wasn’t in the room. “Where are you?” he asked, wincing as his own voice seemed louder to his ears than Jensen’s voice in his head had.

‘ _Downstairs, waiting for you to wake up_ ,’ Jensen replied. ‘ _Do you feel like coming down or would you rather I come up_?’

If he had a choice Jared would much rather stay in bed with Jensen, but he grabbed the clean shirt that had been laid out and pulled it on as he headed for the steps; he was pleasantly surprised that he didn’t feel more off balance or shaky given the pain he’d been in earlier.

“Where are Miss Connie and your friend?” he asked as he stepped off the steps and into Jensen’s arms, relaxing fully into the touch and realizing they were alone in the house. “And what exactly happened back there?”

“Connie had some fund raising thing at the high school; she’ll be back in a couple of hours. Chris met a girl at the hardware store so we’ll be lucky if we see him again before we leave,” Jensen replied with an eye roll as he brushed an unruly piece of hair out of Jared’s face. “As for back there, I’m not sure exactly what happened. Do you feel any different?” he asked, knowing that some of the sigils had looked lighter the last time he’d looked before he’d come downstairs so it wouldn’t seem like he’d been hovering…which he had been.

“They don’t look as bad and they didn’t hurt when I woke up. I…I didn’t feel as edgy either so whatever that guy did must have done something.” Jared shrugged, not sure how to say that he swore his senses were sharper because everything seemed louder, brighter, or more intense. “What do we do now or…what do I do now?”

Jensen slipped his hand into his own. “Right now I want to show you something while we have the place to ourselves.” He led Jared outside to the deck behind Connie’s house that faced the woods. He made sure to grab the younger man’s jacket since it was chilly out.

The deck had pole lights that he lit as well as a fire pit. Jensen could’ve done this inside where it would be warmer, but he got the feeling that if given a choice of inside the house or outside where he could see trees, his mate would choose the outdoors.

“You asked me on the way here about my pack.” Jensen turned from lighting the pit to see that Jared was sitting on the deck beside the fire rather than one of the padded chairs. He found that he looked more at ease there with his long legs crossed in front of him than he had when they sat on Connie’s sofa inside. “You might have noticed that…ummm…talking about my past isn’t something that I like to do really.”

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to, Jensen.” Jared was curious but then he knew he was curious by nature. “Your past is your past. If you don’t want me to know about it then that’s all you need to tell me. It’s none of my business anyway. Alpha’s don’t have to tell Omegas anything and…that muscle is twitching again.”

Jensen knew it was but he was a little surprised that Jared could see it just by the low light cast by the fire and the poles. “One day soon you and I are going to sit down and discuss exactly what Alphas should do for their Omegas. I think you’ll be shocked because basically everything you’ve been told is a lie…and I thought I told you to wipe that stuff clear anyway.” He wanted to go sit beside Jared but held off for the moment since for what he ultimately wanted to do, he needed space. “Yes, my past is just that and I have managed to leave a lot of it behind but because we’re here, I might not be able to leave it all as behind me as I’d like.

“My pack lives about 40 miles from here on land settled by wolves before many humans were in this part of the country,” he began slowly, fingers running over the smooth rail he was standing by while debating what to tell and what to hold back for the moment. “Both of my parents had been born and raised there like their parents had been. My family was…some of the first wolves to settle there. Chris and I along with another friend grew up there along with a few others…like the assholes you’ve seen lately.”

“Your…other friend…what’s he like?” Jared was still leery of Chris and wasn’t sure how Jensen’s other friend might react to him even though Chris hadn’t said or done anything to hurt him. “Is he…I mean, will he…”

“Chad’s a Beta who thinks he’s an Alpha and he will immediately like you,” Jensen chuckled, imagining that meeting. “Chad’s a little hyper but he’s loyal. He will take to you not only because you’re mine, but also because he’ll like you…and he will go wolf at the first sign of a threat. Hell, he’ll probably turn on me if he thinks I’m yelling at you, and he will be the first one to tell you to hang onto your independence and not to let me or anyone walk all over you. So don’t worry about Chad.

“When I was 17, my father passed away and that caused a chain of events to start that ended with me being exiled from the pack, from my family, because I refused to accept the new pack Alpha. I refused to accept him because he wasn’t pack, he wasn’t one of us, and he didn’t have the same values or beliefs that our pack and the Alphas had always maintained.” Jensen pushed away from the railing of the deck to move around a little, feeling more restless than he was usually as he recalled the strong emotions of his last weeks as a part of the pack.

“The Alpha was from out of state. He was a smooth talking wolf in more than one way. He convinced the pack council to let him in despite what others thought…and when a few of those who were against him, including the Alpha, turned up dead from accidents or mysterious circumstances, he convinced them that he was the way of the future.” The bitterness Jensen felt was plain but he shoved down the biggest part of it for later. “I disagreed and was given the choice to either follow the new Alpha, the new path, or leave and never return. I chose exile rather than listen to some asshole I didn’t like, trust, or respect.”

Jared’s head was cocked to the side as he listened. He could tell there was more to the story than what was said, but he would allow Jensen to tell him more when he thought he needed to know. Right now he thought he understood the basic situation, but the complexity of pack dynamics was still above his head.

“You…have family there still?” he asked softly.

“My mother, a few aunts, uncles, and cousins.” Jensen shrugged tightly. He’d accepted the loss of his actual family as he did his pack. “A few left to live on their own, but they still accept him as Alpha…which I will never do unless hell freezes over. My refusal didn’t go over well with him or his close followers, like Welling or Hartley, the dick at Vic’s house earlier, so I can’t promise that nothing will come from us being this close. I’m going to try to have us out of the state before anyone back there, particularly that bastard, decides that I might be back for reasons other than helping you, but since Hartley made a point of confronting me on neutral land, that might not work.”

“We can leave right now if you want, Jen.” Jared didn’t want to cause his Alpha trouble or bring back bad memories. He’d be happy just to be with Jensen. “I…I’m fine with us moving on so nothing bad happens to you.”

Jensen smiled, loving that Jared seemed more concerned about him rather than solving the mystery of his past the marks he still bore. “No, I want to stay in Elkton to be sure you’re doing alright and see if Vic’s friend knows anything about that mark on your stomach. I just wanted you to know that there could be some trouble but if that happens, you’ll be safe. Chris and I can handle it and I’m sure Chad’s going to be knocking on the door sooner rather than later. Now that I said that…can I show you what I originally brought you out here for?” he asked, smiling as his mate nodded.

“You’ve seen my wolf form in your dreams, and you saw it through the glass door up in Cody, but so far you’ve never seen me actually shift. I’ve held off shifting in front of you until I could do it when things were calm. Have you ever actually seen anyone shift, Jared?” he asked, suspecting the Omega hadn’t - a fact that was confirmed when he heard a soft ‘no’. “It might seem a little strange and if you get scared, I’ll shift right back, but I think it’s time you get to know the wolf side of me too. Is that okay?”

Jared nodded, leaning up a little more so he could see better as Jensen held his eyes but waited, as if knowing the young man was curious about something. “Uhhh, this might seem silly and I don’t want to offend you but…when wolves shift fully clothed and then shift back…uhhh, what happens to your clothes?” he asked, blushing furiously as he asked. “I’m sorry. It’s stupid and rude. I’ve just seen…”

“Too many cliché movies,” Jensen laughed but he wasn’t surprised by the question. He also respected the courage it took the shy Omega to ask it. “We can shift to our wolf form and back without being naked…as you’ll see when I shift back and…really?” He blinked as he picked up a quick thought from his mate that had his eyebrows going up and Jared burying his face against the knees he drew up. “Huh. I’ll have to consider that sometime. Right now, look up and watch me, Jay.”

Jared was still in shock that he’d actually thought he wouldn’t mind if Jensen shifted back naked, but then found himself watching in amazement as his mate went from 6’1” of lean rugged body to the sleek, powerful large looking silver wolf in just a shimmering second. “Whoa,” he breathed, startled not only by how easy Jensen made it look but also by how natural it felt to be sitting on a deck with the wolf that he’d seen in his dreams for nearly all his life. “Jen?”

Jensen stood still after he shifted until a wary hand was held out and he took that as a sign that Jared was okay and moved until he was close enough for Jared’s fingers to touch his coat of thick fur.

He’d never let anyone touch him in this form except his parents. Jensen didn’t feel like wolves should ever be treated like pets, but as long fingers stroked over him now, he decided that letting Jared pet him had distinct advantages; not that he’d ever let Chris or Chad know that.

“You’re…” Jared got to his knees so he could move closer, cutting the already short distance between them to practically nothing. He trusted his mate completely, and as he saw the slightest move of the wolf’s head, he knew it was safe to touch him even more. “Don’t growl or bite me when I saw this but…you’re beautiful as a man but you’re…absolutely stunning like this, Jensen. I…I will never be good enough to be your mate, Jen,” he murmured, a tear falling down his cheek as he began to feel so many doubts and fears again about himself. “You’re so majestic like this that you need an Omega that can…huh? Hey!”

A sudden nudge of the wolf’s snout took him off guard but it was enough to break the dark mood spiraling inside him, and with a gasp, he lifted his eyes to meet steady green ones and Jared felt warm thoughts of love slipping into his mind.

‘ _You are perfect for me, Jay_ ,’ Jensen told him silently, hating that Jared felt like this about himself and swearing to replace his negative thoughts with positive ones. ‘ _True mates, destined mates, don’t just happen by accident. I was connected with you since you were little. If anything, it’s me who doesn’t deserve you, sweetheart_.’

Jared’s eyes snapped up at that, shocked that someone like Jensen would think that. “I…you…” He stopped as the large furry body stepped closer and Jared’s arms automatically slipped around to hold onto Jensen’s neck, forgetting everything else as he buried his face in the thick fur like he thought he had as a child.

‘ _You did_ ,’ Jensen told him, allowing the hug because it was his mate and because he’d always allowed Jared to cling to him in their shared dreams. ‘ _You can hold me, Jared. Promise I won’t shed._ ’

The laugh that earned was watery, but it served to take the rest of Jared’s doubts away as he clung tighter, letting the strength he felt in the wolf’s body as well as the scent that Jared knew was Jensen calm him and reassure him that it would all be alright in the end.

“Can…we walk in the woods sometimes, Jen?” he asked, smiling when he felt Jensen nuzzle his cheek. “Just wanna be in the trees and nature with you. We need to live somewhere with lots and lots of trees and animals. Maybe a cabin in the woods by a stream or…I’m babbling I know. I’m sorry.”

‘ _Never be sorry, Jay. I love that you feel safe outdoors and that you love nature this much._ ’ Jensen had hoped when or if he ever found his true mate that he would love to be outdoors because there was just so much of city life that the Alpha wolf could stand. ‘ _And yes, we can walk in the woods but not tonight_.’

Jensen’s eyesight was perfect in the dark but he didn’t feel comfortable taking Jared into the woods when it was this dark, at least not right then. For a few quiet minutes, he sat close and just let Jared hold onto him, fingers curling into his fur much like he could recall him doing in the dreams. Something was making the wolf uneasy, but he couldn’t place the danger since he couldn’t hear or scent anything wrong. The uneasiness continued until he decided they should move into the house.

‘ _Jay? Hey, let’s go inside where it’s warmer for you and…what the hell_?’

The sudden sharp pain that hit Jensen’s right hind leg had him jerking his head up and around, trying to scent, look, and shift back all at the same time. When the burning started only seconds ahead of a wave of dizziness, Jensen suddenly knew what had happened.

‘ _Get…get in the house_.’ He felt the link getting weak even as whatever the hell he’d been hit with began to work. ‘ _Jared, get inside the house and lock the door_.’

“Jensen?” Jared had felt the wolf jerk and heard the change in tone. As the wolf staggered, he moved his hand down and frowned as he came up with a small dart. “Jen? What’s…”

“Son of a bitch!” Jensen had to force his body to shift, but realized immediately that it just increased the speed of the tranquilizer…then the scents hit him. “Jared, go!” he snapped, trying to get to his feet only to feel his legs go out from under him. “Jay…”

Jared wasn’t sure what was happening but seeing Jensen fall scared him. He knew he’d been told to go inside, but he didn’t feel right about leaving his mate alone outside and unable to defend himself. He felt a slight burn on his shoulder as he tried to grab Jensen’s arm. “Jensen, what’s…”

“Go inside, call…” Jensen knew he needed to get Jared inside the house but he felt the boy’s terror building even before the voice was heard.

“Told you it wasn’t over, loner. You should’ve stayed gone but don’t worry, we’ll take good care of the Omega since you’ll have no use for him.”

Jensen’s lips curled in a growl as Justin Hartley’s voice echoed in his rapidly blurring thoughts. He couldn’t see anything past the spinning his eyes were doing, but he could scent well enough. He went to try to turn while grabbing for Jared, only to grunt as something hard slammed into the side of his head and he felt himself drop to the wooden deck.

“Jensen! Jensen, get…no! Ugh!” Jared’s voice, scared and confused, was the last thing Jensen heard before blackness took him under with the terror of his mate locked in his heart.

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**Lone Wolf**

**[ ](https://imgbb.com/) **

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**Chapter Seven**

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Running through the thick, dense woods of Northwest Wyoming was second nature to the wolf. After all, he’d done it since he was a pup and knew every trail, path, and shortcut in this particular section like the pad of his paw. As he ran it this time, though, it wasn’t freely or with joy; it was with something akin to panic in his heart and a burning need to save, to protect, and then hopefully to rip someone’s throat out with his teeth.

****

The air was crisp, cold enough that he could see his breath as he ran through the thick woods, but he barely noticed the drop in temperature. His thick, heavy silver fur protected him from the cold air, but he knew there was nothing protecting the one he was searching desperately for.

****

Sharp green eyes could easily see in the quickly darkening woods while his ears picked up sounds foreign to the natural sounds of the heavy woods. It was more what he was feeling, however, that caused him to pick up speed in his haste to get to the scared and confused young man whose thoughts he could feel getting more and more erratic.

****

The large wolf jumped over a log in his path with enough strength that he also cleared what he knew was a pitfall; he had easily scented the odd odors that told him his ultimate target had set a trap there to either catch him or kill him.

****

His lips pulled back in what would’ve been a human smirk but right then was more of a snarl, which he figured would work as well given that he’d been doing plenty of that for the past 24 hours.

****

** 24-Hours Earlier, Elkton, Wyoming: **

****

“What the fuck, dude?”

****

“Does it look like I know? I wasn’t here anymore than you were, jackass! Now help me hold him down cause he’s waking up and I promise you he will come up swinging!”

****

“Both of you shut up and back off the boy! Then you can tell me what the hell is going on and where Jared is!”

****

“Who’s Jared? And why the fuck is Hartley’s scent all over the place?”

****

“Jared would be Jensen’s mate…yeah, get your jaw off the floor Murray and…oh shit! Duck!”

****

A fist shot up to grab the first thing it could reach which happened to be the unfortunate throat of Chad Michael Murray who wasn’t fast enough to avoid it. “H-Hey!”

****

“Wh-where’s Jared?” Jensen’s head was threatening to pound right off his shoulders. He forced his eyes to open only to slam them shut again against the bright light with a snarl. “What…screw it! Get offa me, Kane!”

****

“Whoa! Settle your ass down, Ackles!” Chris Kane snapped even as Connie was trying to free Chad as he turned blue from a lack of air. “I found you laid out on the deck with your skull practically split open and a dart next to you that apparently helped to lay you out the rest of the way. You’ve been out like a light for eight or nine hours. Connie swore you weren’t in a coma and wouldn’t let Chad and me drag you to an ER! Now stay still and let the geek go! We need him!”

****

A hard rap to his chest and a squeeze to the nerve in his wrist had Jensen’s fingers opening enough that Chad could fall back to the floor beside the sofa in the living room. He sucked in several gulps of air.

****

“Geez! I came here for this? I could’ve stayed in New York with drug dealers trying to kill me for this hassle, Kane!” Chad muttered, but he was quick to grab for Jensen when he went to push up again. “Jensen, c’mon! Stay still for a second.”

****

Jensen finally slumped back with a groan but still tried to shove the hands away from him, growling in a way that was more wolf than man but it finally got his point across. “What…happened?” he asked tightly. He tried to sort out the last few images in his head but what he kept stopping on was the scared voice of his mate. “How long have I been out? Where’s Jay? Did you go out and…”

****

“I got back around dawn and found you unconscious on the back deck. There was no sign of the kid but plenty of scents to tell me you were nailed by Hartley and his cronies.” Chris waited until he was certain Jensen would stay still before continuing. He could hear Connie speaking to someone who’d knocked on her door. He wanted to listen so he could figure out who it was, but Jensen’s growl convinced him to continue his story. “I got you inside and woke Connie up. Then Murray finally showed up and Jensen, I did look for tracks or traces but once those scents hit the road they were all gone. If they took Jared then…”

****

“When did you get a mate?” Chad piped up, careful to step back out of reach when Jensen was finally able to open his eyes and try to sit up again. “I thought you said you’d never claim a mate unless it was…oh. Holy hell, is that what you were babbling when you called me?” He shot a look between his friends. “Jensen actually found that guy from his dreams? The one with the weird symbols and stuff?”

****

“His name is Jared and yes, he’s the one I’ve been dreaming of,” Jensen groaned as he managed to get to his feet. His head spun, and he could feel the lump on the side of it, but he was pretty sure his weakness and dizziness was from the dart of tranquilizers used to put him out rather than a concussion. “Most of his symbols were actually going away but…he can’t shift and being around wolves still hurts him. He’s scared and…I will rip their damn hearts out for touching him.”

****

This was growled at JD Morgan who was just stepping into the room. “I sent deputies to the boarding house where Welling and his pals had been staying but the owner said they cleared out day before yesterday.”

****

“Of course they did. They didn’t have to be here anymore,” Jensen sneered, teetering a little too much but jerking away when his friends tried to steady him. “They already told the bastard everything, and if they left something out, Hartley filled him in. It was Justin that I heard, it was Justin who hit me in the head with something after someone who was far enough away to hide their scent shot me with a goddamn tranquilizer, and it was Justin goddamn Hartley that put his hands on _my_ mate!”

****

“No one is saying it wasn’t…and yeah, we pretty much knew Welling would be reporting back to Rolston after his encounter with you the other day but…” JD took a slow breath, understanding the danger of enraging an already furious wolf. “If, and there’s no other reason to think otherwise, if they took the boy back to pack land then that’s under federal jurisdiction, so it’s out of my hands, Jensen.”

****

Even as Connie was winding up to let the local sheriff have it and Chris was moving to grab Jensen in case he lunged for the man’s throat, Chad had stopped, blinked as if thinking, and then thrown both hands up in the air to get attention.

****

“Whoa!” he shouted, eyeing the grim faced cop who had rousted his Beta butt more than once growing up. “You said it would be in federal hands if Rolston took Jensen’s new buddy onto pack land?” he asked, seeking clarification. “That you couldn’t touch it?”

****

“Pack land is federal territory, Murray,” JD confirmed with a sigh. “It’s been that way for over 100 years. The pack has its own cops; they are supposed to be federally assigned and neutral from Alpha rule but…” He sighed, not really needing to finish that thought. “We’re going to have to wait until…”

****

“Fuck waiting!” Jensen snapped, still hearing Jared scream for him before he lost consciousness. “If I’ve been unconscious for over eight hours then they’ve had him too long already! I will not let Rolston or any of them…Chad…I will break that hand off if you don’t get it off my arm in two seconds flat,” he growled without looking at his friend.

****

“Before you break my hand, give me just a minute to get over the sheer and absolute joy at the idea that finally, _finally,_ after 16 years, I will get to shove my badge…and a gun…into the face of that arrogant jackass that cost you your birthright and drove a lot of others out of the pack.” Chad shot a smile as he reached into his pocket to pull out an ID folder, flipping it open to show the wide-eyed Sheriff. “And you said it would be a waste of time to join the FBI. Shows you, Kane!”

****

JD was grabbing the FBI badge while Chris was rolling his eyes. “No, I said the FBI was wasting _their_ time hiring you because your attention span is microscopic and you’d probably end up shooting yourself in the damn foot. Jensen?”

****

Jensen ignored the bickering. He ignored everything as he went to change clothes and grab the few things he thought he might need. “I’m going after them. You guys do what you want. But I’m not letting that asshole cost me anything else,” he muttered.

****

“You don’t even know where Hartley took him!” Chris yelled, following him only to have Connie hold something out. “Fuck,” he groaned, scrubbing his face as he took in the scrawled message on a map with an area circled. “The weather’s getting bad, Jensen. If it snows…or gets bad…that area is…”

****

“I’m going. Alone if I have to, but I am going and I am getting him back.” Jensen glanced down at the torn shirt that was also in the older Beta’s hands. He took it gently, smelling and feeling Jared on it. His lips curled up as he took in the rips that told him someone had torn this off of Jared but when he caught the smell of blood, his temper spiked. “I will kill them all if he’s hurt.”

****

“Jensen!” Connie hurried after him, noticing Chad who on the phone while also trying to shush a grumbling JD who was insisting the badge was faked. “Jensen, wait for Vic! He found his friend who might be able to help. He’s…”

****

“Chris can bring anyone he wants…anyone who might be able to help, but I’m not waiting. It’ll take me long enough to get to this part of the mountains as it is.” Jensen shoved things in a duffel, making sure he had everything he might need in case he got cut off from help after he got his mate back. “This isn’t like they grabbed some Omega off the street, Connie. This is Jared! Even if I hadn’t claimed him, even if he didn’t wear my mark now, I swore to keep him safe and that no one, wolf or Alpha, would hurt him! He has nothing to do with this but he’s been pulled into it because I wouldn’t bow down and kiss Rolston’s ass.

****

“I lost my family! I lost my pack and home because of that bastard! I lost myself for a good long while, but I will not lose that boy!” He shoved out the door to his jeep, ignoring the shouts following him. “You want to help? Help. If not, then stay the hell out of my way!”

****

Connie started down after him but stopped at the hand on her arm. “Chris, he’s walking into a trap.”

****

“Yep, and the old man is confident that Jensen will be going in alone.” Chris turned to eye a smirking Chad while pulling his phone out to hit a button. “That’s what Rolston’s mistake has always been. He was so damn sure that once he drove Jensen off, once he got the council to exile him, that Jensen lost his friends as well as his family…and that is so not true.” He heard the call pick up. “Hey! Two hours! Get your ass to the base of the mountain and put the call out to the others. It’s time to show those stuck up mutts who our Alpha really is.” He spun to confront Chad. “You! You don’t get to play wolf yet. You get to go to the pack council with that fancy badge and shove it down someone’s throat until they give Rolston up or…”

****

“Or I get to shoot someone?” Chad seemed overly happy with that suggestion despite the groan from the local sheriff. “Awesome! I knew learning to shoot this thing would come in handy. Oh, don’t worry, Morgan. I won’t actually shoot anyone…unless they threaten my friend or…get in my face,” he said to a growling JD. “Besides, I have actual backup on the way.”

****

Leaving the sheriff to grumble to Connie who was on the phone with Vic, Chad stepped up closer to a grim faced Chris, following his gaze to where Jensen’s jeep had gone. “He’ll be on his own for the most part. Hartley, Welling and whoever else Rolston has won’t hesitate to jump him or use this kid if they think it’ll hurt him. How close has he gotten to him already?”

****

“Too close if this goes badly,” Chris muttered and took off for his own car. “Let’s go! I’ll give you a lift as far as the border to the pack land and then you’re on your own cause after that I’m going on foot.”

****

“You mean paws,” Chad offered with a grin that tried to hide how worried he was for what Jensen would be facing in a part of the mountains that had been hard even when they’d been pups and in the summer.

****

** Present time: **

****

Stopping as he topped a rise that split off three different ways, the wolf sniffed the air to try to catch a scent, but now it seemed as if his prey was getting smarter and attempting to mask the main scent, while also leaving false scents to trick him into taking the wrong path – a path that would lead him away from his goal.

****

It was a good trick and one that might’ve worked if he’d been any other wolf, but this wolf wasn’t stupid. He knew the dirty little tricks that could be played. He knew the tricks the asshole had used years ago and also what he was really capable of. So even if the wolves thought they could hide their scents, there was something else that couldn’t be hidden from him…his mate’s true scent as well as his thoughts.

****

‘ _Jared_!’ He let his thoughts go out and could only hope his mate wasn’t unconscious or too frightened to respond to him.

****

The bond was still fairly new and he knew it still took the boy off guard to hear his thoughts, but he had to hope now that it would come in handy as he listened and sniffed the air again. This time he picked up something he had prayed he wouldn’t: blood. ‘ _Jared!_ ’

****

There was a shift in the air that suddenly brought a scent to the wolf even as he felt a soft, weak, frightened reply to his call. He threw his head back to howl in both call and reassurance before he bolted down the side path that he knew would lead him to a rocky area of the forest.

****

Agile and steady, the rocks didn’t bother him like they would other wolves. He and his packmates used to play in these caves and rocks during the summer. The gathering snow and ice might serve as a problem, but he was too focused on the stronger scent of omega, fear, and blood to pay any mind to that.

****

The wolf stopped at the edge of the woods to eye the rocks. He sniffed before stepping into the open. He could smell the scents, including danger, but it was the fear he was locked on; fear outweighed the danger in his mind.

****

The first thing his eyes spotted was a small silver cage that made him cringe inwardly. Most of the myths about werewolves were just that, myths, but the one about silver was true. Silver hurt like hell whether in human or wolf form, so that cage would be absolute torture to a pure wolf and horribly painful to someone with any wolf blood in his veins.

****

A faint sound had his ears going up, and then his sharp eyes were zeroing in on his frightened omega, hazel eyes glassy with shock, pain, and confusion. The boy stared at him from a face that was badly bruised and bloodied.

****

The young man tried to call out as he sensed his Alpha’s arrival, but the heavy gag in his mouth prevented him from doing so.

****

Only a soft whimper came out, but it was still heard by the wolf whose first instinct was to immediately bound up to the frightened Omega and rip the ropes off that he could see binding his half naked, battered, and shaking body.

****

‘ _Jared_ ,’ His thoughts went out instantly to try to soothe the frightened young man. He started to move forward, but stopped to show his teeth in a snarl, all the fur on his body rising in hate and fury, at the sight of the man who stepped from the cave and grabbed a handful of long dark hair, yanking the boy’s head back and placing a jagged edge blade up to soft human skin. Jensen snarled and sent his thoughts out to all the wolves in the area. ‘ _Let him go_!’

****

“You tracked us faster than I expected.” The man was of average height and build, looking older than the last time Jensen had seen him, in his mid-50’s now if the wolf was adding the years up correctly. “I guess I might’ve misjudged you a little. Now shift before I slit his throat…or maybe I’ll just let my boys have a taste of your sweet Omega’s ass.”

****

The wolf’s lips curled more as he snarled lowly, but he sensed the boy’s fear increase at the chance that he might shift forms, leaving himself vulnerable to attack.

****

‘ _No…J-Jen…don’t. G-Go…please_.’

****

The thoughts were weak, shaky and as soft, just as the wolf knew the boy’s voice would be by this point because Jared’s voice was always softer if he was scared, hurt, or confused, and right now he was all three.

****

Leaving, however, was not an option for him. He’d made his choice weeks ago when he returned to the state of his birth and stumbled on what would turn out to be the very reason he’d been pulled back to Wyoming. Now to keep what was so obviously his, what had been meant to be his since he’d been eight years old, he just had to make sure both he and his mate survived.

****

“Ackles! I’m only telling you one more goddamn time, boy! Shift forms or watch as my boys rip him apart!” the man snapped and applied more pressure to the knife while a large black wolf approached from the side, licking its lips while scenting the obviously terrified Omega. “Unless you don’t actually give a damn about this kid and it doesn’t matter if they fuck his ass before…”

****

“Leave him alone, Rolston!” Jensen’s voice was sharp and deep, not showing any of the fear that was in the man’s heart as he shifted seamlessly from wolf to man to confront not only a nightmare from his past but also the threat to his future. “I’m here. Let Jared ago. He’s got nothing to do with you and me. He’s got nothing to do with any of this so let him go. Let. Him. Go.”

****

The last words were spoken lowly in a measured tone without any of the slight drawl that could often be heard and that left no doubt about how pissed off Jensen Ackles was as he took another step forward only to stop at the cry of pain that came when the knife was jerked and a trickle of blood ran down Jared’s neck. “Stop!”

****

“Oh, how easy we forget that you don’t give orders to me, pup,” Mark Rolston sneered, but he did slowly move the knife away from Jared’s throat even though he still kept a strong grip on his helpless captive’s hair. He used the boy’s hair like a leash, keeping Jared pulled tightly against him while glaring down the slight incline to see the fury and hate staring back at him. “I’m pack Alpha and you obey me!”

****

“I don’t have a pack anymore thanks to you, so that means you ain’t nothing to me but a murdering bastard whose throat I will rip out if you touch what is mine,” Jensen snapped back while picking up the approach of others. “Still too much of a coward to take me on alone, Rolston? You have to have your little pack pups gang up on me when you know I won’t make a move on you so long as you have him? Huh, real brave Alpha,” he sneered. “Let Jared go and settle this like a man…unless you’re scared to face me…like you were too scared to face my father.”

****

Mark Rolston hadn’t changed much in the 15 years since he’d been the cause of Jensen’s exile from his pack. He was still smooth talking, well dressed even in the rough terrain, and had an arrogance that made the young Alpha want to gag or choke the bastard.

****

His hair was thinner than it had been the last day they’d seen one another and his face had a few more wrinkles, but the arrogant tone of voice, the hate in his eyes, and the way he assumed everything would go his way was still the same.

****

“Your father’s death was ruled an accident, pup. Your own mother never even suspected my hand in poor Michael’s demise.” He gave a hard pull to yank his captive up more on bare knees that were torn and ripped from the hard rocks and rough dirt they’d dragged him over, lips curving as he watched Jensen’s face twitch. He bent down and buried his nose in Jared’s neck, scenting him deeply even as the boy tried to squirm away. “You want the Omega back, Jensen? You can have him…if you do what I say first.”

****

Jensen wasn’t foolish enough to not know what that would be. He knew what Rolston would demand because he’d never been able to accept that Jensen had chosen pack exile, that he’d chosen to be a lone wolf so to speak, rather than accept him as his pack leader when that had been a position Jensen’s father had held and one that should’ve gone to Jensen in time.

****

The hate he’d held for this man and for his pack of wild thugs had been what had driven him since he’d been 17 years old and had walked away from pack and home to begin his life alone. Jensen had never thought anything would ever matter more than one day returning to his pack and wiping that smug smile off of Rolston’s face as he either reclaimed what should have been his in the first place or at least remove the smug Alpha from being pack leader.

****

Six months ago if someone had told Jensen Ackles, 32-year old lone wolf and professional loner, that so much of his life would change from a chance meeting in a bar in Cody, Wyoming, and that he’d now be preparing to do the one thing he’d vowed to die first before doing, Jensen would’ve laughed in that person’s face.

****

He sent his thoughts out to try to calm the frightened young man who Jensen could tell without even more than a cursory glance had been hurt badly in the past 24 hours while still keeping his eyes on Rolston and ignoring the large growling wolf that was far too close to the weakly struggling Omega for Jensen’s liking.

****

‘ _Hold still, sweetheart_ ,’ he urged silently. ‘ _I’m getting you out of here. But no matter what happens, if I tell you to run then you run_.’ Jensen knew his communication with Jared couldn’t be heard by those around him which would further infuriate the other Alpha. “Let him go, Rolston. You don’t need Jared anymore. I’ll give you what you want. He’s innocent in all of this.”

****

Big glassy eyes tried to catch Jensen’s and the young Omega struggled to get to him, to get away from the cruel Alpha wolf that had been hurting him, holding him captive in order to bring Jensen to them. He was too weak, however, from the cold, the injuries, and the leftover binding marks to do more than jerk weakly until he cried out in pain when the wolf close to him lashed out with a huge paw, cutting his already bleeding arm.

****

“Don’t touch him!” Jensen’s eyes shot to the wolf, lips curling in a snarl as he felt the need to turn building as he sensed the thoughts of the other wolf, images of what he and the others planned to do to the helpless half wolf once they could. “If any of them touch him, all deals I make are off and the first thing I’ll do is rip your throat out before I rip the hearts out of every goddamn wolf here whose scent I smell on him.”

****

“Brave for someone so outnumbered, Jensen.” Rolston frowned as he met the hard eyes of his rival, a young man that he’d hated for 15 years because he’d been one of the few who had refused to bend to his will. “How proud do you think your beloved father would be to know that his only son, his supposed heir, is willing to settle for a human as his mate?” he sneered. He jerked Jared’s head back, bending closer to the boy, but his eyes never left Jensen. “Did he tell you, boy? Did the mighty and proud Jensen Ackles reveal to you his full past?” he asked in a low, mocking voice.

****

“Did you tell him who and what you were once, Jensen? Did you tell him that by taking him, by claiming and marking him as your mate, that any chance you had to return to your pack, to maybe one day claim your rightful place as pack leader, is gone? Did you tell him that by choosing to mate with a human weakling you’d forever give up your family line?” He heard the small muffled sound behind the gag and saw glassy confused eyes trying to seek the truth from his hero. “Or weren’t you planning on mating fully with him? Maybe you were just going to use him for what my boys will? A fuck toy since that’s all little human Omegas are good for, to be kept chained up and used for a fast ass to knot when the need arises? Was that what you…”

****

“No! No, damn you that _is_ not what I planned to do!” Jensen’s temper was close to the surface and it was getting harder not to take the risk and lunge across the distance that now kept him from the man threatening Jared, but he knew if he did, both of their lives would be over. “Don’t listen to him, Jared. He’s just trying to scare you…none of them are going to touch you.” He knew it was a risk, but he needed to catch those wide eyes and when he did, he instantly saw the fears and doubts had tripled. ‘ _Look at me, Jared. Babe, I need you to look at me now_.’ He needed to make full eye contact and keep it when he felt Jared’s doubts and insecurities begin to overwhelm him. ‘ _Jay, please_.’

****

It was the nickname, the one that only Jensen used, that finally got the 24-year-old Omega’s dropping eyes to lift back up. He’d been fighting to ignore the snide, mocking threats and comments since the moment this nightmare began, but it was harder now because he’d felt the tension come over Jensen at the mention of his past, the past that he’d so far refused to speak about except in general terms.

****

He had so many questions, so many fears, and he was so cold now and so scared that it was hard to focus his drifting thoughts on the Alpha in front of him, the Alpha that Jared hoped would still be _his_ Alpha one day if Jensen kept all the promises he’d made him over the short time they’d actually known one another.

****

‘ _Lied_?’ It was the only word his brain could get out, pain and cold freezing him to the point that he began to wonder if dying here might not be better than what these werewolves had planned for him.

****

‘ _No, I never lied to you._ ’ Jensen sensed movement close to him, could hear Rolston still mocking him, still threatening this innocent sweet boy, but he forced himself to stay focused on Jared. ‘ _What he said about my past…some of that is true and I will tell you about it after you’re safe…but as for losing anything by taking you as my mate? I long ago stopped caring about that stuff. I’ve looked for you, dreamed of you since I was eight years old and I’m not losing you now to anything. I promise you that_.’ He still felt the doubts and knew he’d be working hard to regain the trust that had been lost from Rolston’s lies, but first Jensen realized he had to get them out of the woods alive. ‘ _Just remember what I said about running if I tell you to…and if that happens don’t look back, Jay. Just run until you’re safe. Run and know that I love you.’_

****

Jensen took the rest of the distance between them easily, eyes on the older wolf. “Cut him loose, let him go, and I’ll do what you want, but not until I know he’s safe.”

****

“Kneel in front of me and then we’ll discuss terms,” Rolston sneered, tone mocking as if he knew this arrogant pup wouldn’t do as he was told and he’d have an excuse to turn the Omega over to his pack. He scowled though when, after only a moment of hesitation, Jensen gritted his teeth and slowly went to his knees. “Well, wouldn’t your daddy be proud of you now, pup.”

****

“Let him go.” Jensen’s tone was tight, showing his rage. Being this close he could smell the fear as well as the blood on his mate which made him even madder. It was so hard for him not to shift and tear apart anyone close to Jared but he knew if he did that, Rolston would cut Jared’s throat.

****

Jared’s eyes were glassy from shock and fear but he tried to shake his head only to whine when his hair was yanked back, the blade pressing deeper against his throat, causing green eyes to snap to his allowing him to see the first flash of fear that he could ever recall seeing in Jensen before.

****

“Put your hands behind your back,” Rolston ordered, nodding to the black wolf beside him who was looking at the trapped Omega like he couldn’t wait for the order to take him. “Do it and I’ll take his gag out. Refuse and I’ll slit his throat in front of you.”

****

Jensen let out a low growl, but slowly did as ordered even though he knew this was a bad decision because he caught a glimpse of the silver cuffs in the covered hand of one of the thugs and knew with those on, he’d never be able to shift. But Jared’s safely was more important to Jensen, so with as much calmness as he could manage, he put his wrists behind his back while glaring at the pack Alpha. “Your turn…ugh!”

****

A hard backhand to the mouth snapped his head back causing Jensen to taste blood. He heard a muffled cry from Jared that came after he tried to jerk free to get to him only to be yanked back roughly while the wolf snarled.

****

“No!” Jensen yelled, tensing on instinct the moment he felt the cuffs burn his skin as they were locked on tightly, but he jerked his eyes around to see that Jared had fallen, right near the wolf. “Rolston! You’ve got me! I said I’ll do what you want. You’ve got me in cuffs so you know I can’t shift…now let him go!”

****

“Oh, we’ll get there, pup.” Rolston smiled smoothly, pressing his shoe into the bruised chest of the struggling Omega just to hear his muffled cries of pain and Jensen’s snarls of helpless fury. “You see, I know you, Jensen. You’re just like your father. You will never fully submit to me, but I will enjoy hurting you until you either submit or break. Now as for this useless little whelp…”

****

Jensen’s whole body went rigid and he started to try to move, but a hard hand grabbed his shoulder and he turned to snarl into Justin Hartley’s sneering face. He was considering spitting in the jackass’s face when he was suddenly distracted by something more important.

****

“…J-Jensen!”

****

Jared’s voice was ragged and soft, but the fear was plain when he forced the name out past split and dried lips once the gag was jerked out of his mouth. He was cold, in pain, and scared, but he’d been that since he’d been grabbed back in Elkton. It was worse now as he realized that Jensen was basically helpless with wolves that wanted to hurt them both and Jared was useless to do anything to help his Alpha; in fact he blamed himself because he knew he’d been used as bait to lure Jensen to this mountain area.

****

When the attack had first occurred, Jared had been so stunned and then scared that he didn’t immediately realize what was happening. He thought the attack had happened because the guys who’d hurt Jensen were Alphas looking for an Omega to fuck. It took the first serious beating for Jared to understand that this was about Jensen’s past; someone was looking to prove a point by hurting his mate.

****

He’d tried to fight, to escape, but he was no match for half a dozen Alphas who were stronger than him and also full-blooded wolves. He’d quickly been overpowered, bound hand and foot, and thrown over a powerful shoulder.

****

Jared wasn’t sure where they’d taken him since the guy called Welling had put a hood over his head as soon as they’d thrown him into the bed of a pickup truck. It seemed like they’d driven a long time before he was yanked out of the truck and then literally dragged by his tied hands over rough ground while constantly being belittled, kicked, punched or threatened for being a human Omega.

****

In the back of his mind Jared wondered why these guys couldn’t tell he was part wolf like Jensen had. Maybe the mark that was still faintly there was still blocking him from other wolves. He wondered about it, but didn’t say anything. In fact, when they finally reached their destination, a rough and rocky piece of mountain, Jared refused to say anything to the older, thinning haired Alpha who was waiting for them.

****

He took one hell of a beating but still refused to speak until the guy let Welling begin to torment him. After that, Jared couldn’t stop the cries of pain and he hated that he had begged for Jensen a few times because his Alpha coming to his rescue was so not what he wanted now, not when he figured out that it was Jensen they wanted in the first place.

****

Now he watched the rage on his Alpha’s face, seeing the unspoken pain there from the cuffs that trapped him. Jared knew how bad their situation was, and despite how much he wanted to be brave, he couldn’t manage to keep the fear from showing or the shake out of his voice.

****

He didn’t know how long the gag would stay out, or how long he had before the evil Alpha just handed him over to the wolves he knew were prowling the rocks and woods beyond, so Jared knew he needed to make the most of his time.

****

“They…he…Jensen, he…won’ let me go!” he cried out, unable to get a full breath because of the pain in his chest and back from the beatings, but he wanted to at least get that message out as Jensen’s eyes met his. Jared tried to stay focused on his mate’s face, but everything seemed to be spinning and blurry and it was all he could do not to puke or pass out. “Cage…” He thought he saw his mate’s gaze shift to the silver coated cage that had been so prominently placed in front of the mouth of the cave. “…not for me. He… it’s…for you! J-Jensen…run! Don’ care ‘bout me now…you…argh!!”

****

Jensen frowned, tensing as he heard the halting words, the plea for him to try to save himself instead of Jared. The boy screamed as Mark Rolston put his full weight on a deep claw mark on Jared’s side just to make the captive Omega cry out. “Rolston! Leave him alone, damn it! You don’t have to hurt him like this! I know you never planned to let him go!”

****

That seemed to cause an uneasy stop to all movement on the rocky cliff as snow continued to fall. Jensen jerked his shoulder away from Hartley’s grip, meeting the hateful glare of the man who had cost him his pack. His lips curved into a slow smirk as if the threat of being locked inside the small cage while these bastards hurt Jared didn’t cause a fist to grab his heart. “I knew that cage was probably for me when I saw it because you know and this jackass behind me knows, and everyone else skulking around here knows that not even silver cuffs will keep me from hurting all you bastards if you put your hands on what is mine.

****

“You want to hurt me? You want to break me? Well like you said, I’m too much like my father to break easily and I’m sure as hell not gonna drop to my knees and kiss your feet like you want. The only way to break me is to hurt the one I love…and thanks to Welling and his pals, you know that’s Jared.” He slid his eyes away from Rolston to find and lock onto wide, glassy, hazel ones before moving back to sneer with more confidence than he truly felt. “You hate what he is. You look at him and all you and these other morons see is a human, an Omega who’s beneath you and only good to use and abuse. You have no idea how wrong you are…in so many ways but it won’t matter because you won’t hurt him, Rolston. You will not put one more bruise or mark on this boy or I swear that not only will I take the Alpha position in the pack away from your grubby paws, but I will rip your throat out.”

****

Many growls and snarls were heard from other wolves who’d been angered by the way the exiled wolf had spoken to their Alpha, but while Rolston’s face showed his rage and how much he wanted to kill this arrogant little upstart, he pulled back after a long tense moment to finally laugh.

****

“You’re certainly sure of yourself for a wolf who’s cuffed and helpless. Oh, I do look forward to shoving you into this cage so you can watch what my boys do to your Omega.” He reached down and swiftly cut the ropes around Jared’s wrists and ankles. “Let the boy alone, Tom,” he ordered the snarling black wolf, jerking the boy up and giving him a hard shove toward Jensen. “He can’t escape…and if he tries? Well then you boys can have some sport running him down before killing him in front of Ackles. What can I say? I’m a nice guy. We’ll let the exile say goodbye to his human pet.”

****

Jared landed hard on his already torn and battered knees, but he didn’t feel the pain. He only saw Jensen, and he threw his arms around him even though his mate couldn’t hug him back or even touch him with anything other than his lips as Jensen turned his head so he could at least make that little connection.

****

“J-Jen,” Jared whispered, voice breaking as tears choked him off; fear and pain were making it hard to do anything but cling for that moment. “I…you…what…”

****

‘ _Jay._ ’ The name sounded loud but Jared knew nobody but him could hear it. The others only heard Jensen quietly shhh’ing him vocally as if to soothe him. ‘ _I need you to listen to me, sweetheart. He’s not going to give me the time I’d like with you, and I need you to understand what I say to you. Can you do that_?’

****

Jared wasn’t sure what to do so he merely nodded against Jensen’s cheek where he’d buried his face. He was too scared and confused to realize it at the time, but he would later realize that he could smell the scent of worry but also determination on his Alpha. ‘ _Jen_ ,’ he thought back shakily, using his mate’s nickname when he wouldn’t in front of their captors. ‘ _I don’ want them to hurt you. I’ll…I can…_ ’

****

‘ _You’re going to run,_ ’ Jensen cut him off swiftly, sensing the startled fear that caused in the young Omega, and he rushed to finish before Rolston or someone could pull Jared away from him. ‘ _Listen. What happens to me is not important…I just need to know that you’re safe. Chris and some others are behind me. I am going to give you a chance to make a break for it down these rocks and into the trees. You are going to run like hell until you find someplace safe to hide. And you stay hidden until Chris or a guy named Chad finds you. Can you do this for me, babe_?’

****

‘ _Jen…I can’t outrun them or hide from…_ ’Jared heard a sound from behind him and locked his arms around Jensen as if afraid to lose contact. ‘ _I…can’t…You can…please don’t leave me, Jen_.’

****

‘ _I will find you, Jared. I will be with you soon, but right now, when I move, I need you to run. I need you to run and don’t look back…and remember who and what you are, Jared._ ’ Jensen heard the snap in Rolston’s voice as he ordered Welling to grab Jared. He knew he had to take a chance that this would work and wouldn’t get them both killed before Chris arrived.

****

He pressed his lips against Jared’s in a quick kiss while holding his scared eyes. “I love you,” he whispered verbally while still speaking silently. ‘ _You are more than an Omega; you are more than my mate. You are part wolf, Jared, and even if I die here protecting you, I never want you to forget that. You are my wolf and I hope one day you become the wolf you always dreamed of and that I know you can be. Now, wait for an opening and run like hell!_ ’

****

“Time’s up, Ackles!” Rolston snapped, jerking his head to Hartley and Welling to separate the pair. “Now you can watch what the boys do to him and I can see you writhe in pain in that cage while it happens.”

****

“No, you won’t touch him.” Jensen knew he had to time this just right to give Jared the opening he’d need. He waited until Justin went to pull Jared away from him and then he lunged forward, slamming his shoulder into the unexpected Hartley’s gut and send them both forward into Welling and then onto the snow and ice covered rock. “Jay, run!” he yelled, sensing fear. “Run! Now! Run and don’t look back!”

****

Jared was still shocked by what was happening and he didn’t want to leave and abandon Jensen, but he knew he’d be used against his mate and he’d rather die leading some of them away from Jensen, hopefully giving the Alpha a chance to survive himself.

****

Using the distraction, he bolted down the rocks in the direction Jensen had told him to. He sobbed as he heard Jensen scream in pain, but he didn’t look back. He just kept running once he hit the solid ground that would lead him away from the current danger and into the thick heavy woods with thoughts of Jensen’s voice telling him to run feeding his speed.

****

“Bastard!” Rolston screamed, grabbing Jensen by the throat to slam him down hard on the rocks as Welling’s wolf form lunged to rake his claws down Jensen’s chest. “You think that stunt will save him? You fool! You’ve killed him and yourself!”

****

He glared at the wolves and men around him. “Find the boy!” he shouted, furious at this change in his plans. “Find him, fuck him, and then kill him slowly. Justin! You and Welling pick two more and take your time with Ackles! I’m already late for a council meeting so I can’t stay to watch you kill him…but when you’re finished, bring me his heart and his head so I can post them both on a spike as a warning to those who think they can disrespect me. Make him bleed like I made his worthless father bleed.”

****

Jensen was fighting pain, trying to get his breath back and get to his knees only to feel his legs kicked out from under him as Justin sneered down at him.

****

“Let’s see how brave and bold you are now, loner.” He began to shift slowly, teeth growing into sharp canine ones as two massive paws from another wolf pinned Jensen to the slippery rock. “I’ll be sure to tell the human how you died for him…right before I knot his ass and then kill him!”

****

Jensen’s vision was blurry from pain and shock as he looked up to see massive jaws snapping toward his throat…

****

**TBC**

****


	8. Chapter 8

**Lone Wolf**

**[](https://imgbb.com/)**

**Chapter Eight**

Jared bolted through the trees, limbs tearing at his face and arms. He could hear the wolves howling as they pursued him, and it sounded like they were getting closer. He hated leaving Jensen behind, but he knew if he stayed, Jensen would be focused on saving him rather than trying to escape.

He tripped over a tree root, crashing down onto his already damaged knees and now his palms were bleeding as well. He knew he was leaving an easy trail for the wolves to follow, but he didn’t know how to avoid that. If only he could shift. If only the damn marks were gone and he could shift, maybe he could get away.

He heard growls now and knew the wolves were closing in. He hoped they killed him quickly. He hoped Jensen wasn’t too disappointed in him for failing to escape…for failing to be able to shift.

The snapping jaws aimed right for soft flesh, but the wolf yipped when it hit rock instead as Jensen managed to move his upper body just enough to avoid having his throat torn out.

Jensen twisted to avoid another wolf as he tried to get some leverage. He managed to get to his feet and avoid another large furry body but only barely. He knew that most of the wolves had stayed to watch him get torn apart, but it was the few that took off after Jared that worried him.

Jensen, Chris, and even the assholes who were now trying to make him a chewtoy knew this area, but Jared didn’t and that worried the Alpha. He accepted that getting Jared to run was the only way to save him from something even worse than death, but now he just had to pray that he could stay alive so he could find his mate before the wolves did.

‘ _You would’ve been better off letting us kill the whelp here after we were done playing, Ackles_ ,’ Tom Welling remarked in his wolf form. ‘ _Making them hunt him? That’ll make it all the worse…unless maybe he falls and breaks his fragile human neck first._ ’

“Any one of you assholes touch Jared and I’ll skin that fur right off your hides,” Jensen growled, twisting his wrists in the cuffs to see if he could manage to slip them, but he could tell from the burning pain that they were too tight. With his hands cuffed in silver, he couldn’t shift and as a human against six wolves, fighting on a slippery slope that was getting even slipperier as snow fell, his chances of surviving this were looking pretty slim.

He twisted to avoid a wolf paw but felt it slash his back. Jensen grunted in pain but what took him to his knees was a sudden rush of pain and terror that he felt and knew in his heart was not his…but Jared’s. “Damn it!” He went to dive to one side only to be hit by a heavy weight that took him down and nearly to the very edge. The large wolf that had tackled him pinned him to the ground while Hartley approached. “Go ahead, Justin. Kill me. It’s been what you and Welling have wanted since we were pups in school. Then you and your mangy pack can continue to follow that bastard until he crosses a line that another pack won’t put up with. See how fast he turns tail when it’s his hide on the line.”

‘ _He’s our Alpha. He brought the pack into the modern day where your old man and others like him on the council would have held us back_ ,’ Justin Hartley returned, hearing a howl but ignoring it as he padded over to stare into Jensen’s hard face. ‘ _You made your choice, loner. You chose to leave so you lost your right to come back; you also lost your right to lay claim to anything when you mated that human and…_ ’ The wolf’s head cocked to the side when Jensen actually chuckled. ‘ _You find having your throat about to be ripped out funny, Ackles_?’

“No, I find it funny that none of you so-called Alphas scented him correctly.” Jensen’s teeth gritted as he felt a rib break from the weight of the black wolf on his chest. “Jared’s…not fully human, Hartley.” He watched the confusion on several faces before it seemed to click with Justin. “He’s half wolf but some binding sigils have kept him from turning…so far. He’s…wolf, so that negates your theory that I lost my right to claim the pack by right of my family line. Rolston…”

‘ _You’ll be dead!_ ’ Tom replied, snarling loudly as he pressed his front paws down to keep Jensen pinned. ‘ _You can’t challenge him because no one would want to follow you any…_ ’

Welling was interrupted when the wolf that was closest to the fight on the edge of the cliff let out a high-pitched yelp when something struck it in the hind leg; another shot immediately followed, wounding the next closest wolf.

“Actually, a lot of wolves would follow Jensen if he were to challenge the current Alpha and win the pack.” Chris Kane’s hard gravelly voice spoke from where he stood on the higher rocks with a rifle in his hands, swinging it at another growling wolf. “Do you really want to lunge at me? I’ll put a silver bullet put through your damn head. Hartley! Welling! Back the hell off or my next shots have your names on them.”

Spinning, Justin switched forms easily and sneered up the cliff. “You think you’re gonna save Ackles by yourself, Kane?” He laughed until he heard a howl, followed by another howl and then another and another as slowly wolves began stepping from the trees, wolves that were very clearly not part of his pack. “What the fuck is this?” he demanded.

“Rolston, his buddies on the pack council, you assholes, you all think the same thing. You think that everyone who stayed on the land or left of their own free will over the years agreed with his rules, his decisions, his choices…but you are so wrong, bright boy.” Chris easily scaled the rocks until he was down, keeping the rifle aimed on the big black wolf still pinning Jensen while a sleek white and grey wolf jumped up to growl at the ones still on the rock face. “These guys here? And the ones headed for the pack land and the few who are tracking your buddies in the woods? They choose to follow the Alpha that we always should’ve had. They still see an Ackles as pack Alpha and that means if you don’t give the word to back Welling the hell off in the next five seconds? Matt here will rip your throat out before Welling can do it to Jensen.”

“You’re lying,” Justin retorted, but he didn’t sound so sure of himself now as more wolves came out. Soon he realized his small group was outnumbered and he knew by the teeth showing in the white and grey wolf that he wasn’t bluffing. “Tom…let Ackles up,” he gritted, unhappy by this turn of events.

The big black wolf’s head snapped around as if not believing the order. He snarled and went to snap only to have the white and grey wolf jump and knock him off as a shot fired from the rifle in Chris’s hands. “Jensen? You okay?”

“Get these damn cuffs off of me so I can go after Jared before those pricks catch him.” Jensen knew he was hurt. He was bleeding, bruised, had a couple broken ribs, probably a slight concussion, and burns from the cuffs, but he didn’t care about that. He cared about the scared boy alone in woods he didn’t know. “Chris! Get ‘em off!”

Chris handed the rifle off to another man who shifted to human to cover the other wolves from the pack as they now also shifted grudgingly except for Tom who was still snarling. “Ouch,” he muttered as he helped Jensen sit up and saw the wounds as well as the silver cuffs. “Hang on.”

It took him several seconds to pick the locks since Justin, with a sneer, tossed the keys over the side of the mountain. “Jensen, you’re…”

“I’m fine.” Jensen pulled himself to his feet, glared at Hartley and Welling, but then started moving. “Deal with them! Turn them over to whoever you have with you or call the damn feds or something. Just keep Hartley and Welling the hell out of my sight because if they’ve hurt Jared or I can’t find him, then I will be going full out Alpha on their asses and throats will be ripped out!” he yelled even as he was shifting.

“Jensen!” Chris shouted, but the Alpha had already disappeared into the trees. He blew out a breath while glaring at Hartley. “I really should kill you…or let Matt eat you but…” He stared at the silver cuffs on the ground before lifting his eyes to smirk. “Let’s see how you like a taste of your own medicine, asshole.”

Jensen heard the sounds of others in the woods, but he ignored them; they weren’t the wolves he was concerned with. He’d shifted seamlessly. There was a little pain left over from the silver cuffs and his other wounds but he knew he would heal faster now that he had shifted to his wolf form.

His senses were on high alert, and he easily followed Jared’s trail. He could see that Jared had been off balance when he started running and had fallen a few times. Jensen’s eyes picked up the paw prints of at least three wolves that had been tracking his mate, and he immediately picked up his speed.

Jensen expected Jared in his fright to run straight downhill, taking the path of least resistance. He slowed down just a bit to verify what his nose was telling him when he realized Jared’s scent had turned and now led deeper into the woods, up into rougher ground but where he knew there were small caves because he and his friends had played there as pups.

It was a good move…if Jared was a wolf and could defend himself against the more experienced Alphas that were tracking him. Fearing that the Omega had gotten himself trapped, Jensen picked up speed again and easily raced along the paths he’d once known well only to skid to a stop when he came to the body of a wolf.

Approaching cautiously in case the wolf was only playing dead, Jensen smelled blood and as he got closer, he saw why. The throat was ripped open but it wasn’t a clean or experienced tear by any means, which piqued Jensen’s curiosity.

He stayed in wolf form until he had gone a few more feet and saw blood on a mass of disturbed snow and dirt. He switched forms to kneel down, examining it more closely and frowning. “What the hell?” he muttered when he saw another dead wolf several feet off the path.

Standing up to look at the area, Jensen saw an opening in the rock facing. He saw marks on the rock that looked like blood so he hurried that way while still keeping his eyes and ears open for signs or sounds of either the last wolf or Jared.

He didn’t understand why one of the wolves would have attacked the others or why the kills appeared to be so messy. It was almost as if the wolf didn’t have control or understand what it was…

“Oh my God,” he breathed when an ice-cold feeling hit him and then he was bolting the rest of the way up the small incline to the small dark cave.

The smells hit Jensen’s nose like a sledgehammer and he was glad he wasn’t in wolf form. He smelled blood, but it was the smell of terror and confusion that almost overwhelmed him. He heard heavy pants as well as a low whine from deep in the cave.

Jensen reached into his pocket to pull out a lighter, wishing he’d had time to grab the damn bag he’d packed. It was still in the jeep, left behind in his haste to shift and get to his mate. He flicked the lighter to life in order to see what was waiting for him. “Jared?” he called softly, still watching for that third wolf. He hesitantly took another step and then froze.

Lying in the back of the cave, huddled against the cold rock wall, was a sleek reddish colored wolf, mottled with spots of brown and black. The wolf had white tips on its ears and Jensen thought there would probably be white around its mouth as well, but right now it was stained with drying blood.

Shining the lighter around showed Jensen more blood on the cave floor but no other wolf and, more importantly, no Jared. Jensen was careful when he took a step, stopping at what sounded like a growl but then the growl turned into a low whine that didn’t sound like pain, but confusion.

The scents of fear and loss were coming from this wolf and it seemed to react to the smell and sound of Jensen in the cave. The wolf lifted its head briefly before yipping at the sudden bright light of the lighter, batting at its eyes as if to shield them or push the too long fur over them, and then something suddenly clicked inside Jensen and he went to his knees.

“Jared? Oh my God…Jay, is that…you?” He was careful to keep his voice low, soft, and gentle to both soothe the frightened Omega and so the noise wouldn’t overwhelm very raw and very new wolf senses. He could clearly recall how painful loud sounds had been to his young ears when he’d been growing up.

The wolf let out a broken sniff, but didn’t move other than to try to press its body further away as if scared of the human.

Jensen looked around and saw an old lantern hanging from a ledge and suddenly knew this must have been one of the caves they’d played in as pups. He quickly looked, saw that it still had oil, and lit it so a soft glow would provide light but wouldn’t be as harsh as the lighter. It also freed him up to shift.

The moment he did, Jensen could feel and hear the frightened mass of thoughts going through the mind of the wolf. Jared’s wolf form was a little smaller than his own form, but definitely larger than a standard Omega wolf usually was. He guessed when the human form was 6’4” with broad shoulders, the wolf form was bound to be large as well.

‘ _Jared_?’ He let his thoughts go out over the link while also using their bond to try to calm down the scared and confused wolf. ‘ _Sweetheart? I need to know you can hear and understand me._ ’

Jensen wasn’t sure how it had happened or why it happened now, but for some reason Jared’s body had shifted and now the boy was trapped. He was in a confused and scared state because he’d been alone; no one had been with him to explain the shift, describe the initial pain or give advice on how to adjust to the change in senses…much less teach him how to shift back.

He smelled blood; he knew that most of it wasn’t Jared’s, but at least some of it was which explained the pain that was adding to the young wolf’s fear and confusion. Jensen moved closer and used his nose to gently nudge a paw that was rubbing over closed eyes. ‘ _Jay, c’mon. It’s Jensen. Are you hurt, babe? If you look at me you’ll see that…well…look at you._ ’

The wolf tensed briefly until he heard, or maybe sensed, who was with him, and then he shuffled a little away from where he was pressed against the wall, moving hesitantly toward Jensen who quietly laid down beside him. Another second went by before a paw moved and a single eye opened enough to peek out at Jensen and the silver wolf felt his breath catch.

Normally Jared’s eyes were hazel mixed with deep gold and blues but in his wolf form, his eyes were a deep, beautiful gold; Jensen would wait to tell him how rare pure gold eyes on a wolf was after he had time to adjust to this.

_‘…J-Jen_?’ The voice was whisper soft even though it was mental; the shake in it could also be heard. ‘ _I…I don’ know what happened. I…_ ’

‘ _Shhh, stay still and rest. A first shift is never easy but I’m sure it was even harder on you since you’ve never even seen a first shift happen before…and you still have, or maybe had, that one sigil that was stopping you from shifting_.’ Jensen wasn’t sure how it had happened, how Jared had shifted, but he did know that he needed to be human in order to make sure his mate wasn’t hurt. ‘ _Jay, can I shift long enough to be sure you’re not hurt badly_?’ he asked, hoping they’d still be able to hear one another if he was human. ‘ _I can also build a fire to get you warm_.’

The popular theory was that wolves didn’t feel cold as much or as badly as humans, and while older wolves that were full blooded did have some protection, new wolves, especially half-blooded ones like Jared, took time to build that immunity to the cold.

‘ _Stay_?’ Jared asked, as if afraid Jensen would leave him now. ‘ _I…I think I…Jen, I…I think I hurt people. I…I didn’t mean to but I…I didn’t know it until…and I was…scared and…_ ’ The wolf whined as the silent words broke off. ‘ _Please….don’ hate me. I won’ do…do it again or…_ ’

“Jay, this isn’t your fault.” Jensen had shifted but stayed close enough so that Jared could feel him while he quickly found enough rocks and twigs to build a small fire. He was relieved to feel the warmth already filling the cave and turned his attention to the wolf beside him. “You were scared, hurt, confused. A first shift is extremely hard without someone with you so the fact that you not only managed to shift but also defended yourself against those assholes who would’ve done the very same thing to you? I am so damn proud of you, Jay. Now I’m going to touch you. I need to see if you’re seriously hurt anywhere. It may still feel weird since it’ll take you time to adjust to this body.”

Jensen didn’t want to scare or hurt his mate, but he had to make sure he hadn’t broken anything during the shift or hurt himself while either defending himself or getting to the cave. “Can you tell me how this happened?” he asked while letting his hands smooth over soft but cold fur, feeling strong muscles, but thankfully nothing seemed to hurt as he stroked the wolf.

‘ _I…ran like you told me. I didn’ want to cause I didn’t want to leave you, Jen._ ’ Jared slowly lifted his head to try to watch Jensen’s hands, a little surprised not to feel weird as those strong hands ran through a coat of thick fur the exact color that Jared used to dream of. ‘ _I fell once and my back hurt. I…I knew I was gonna die and I kept thinking of you back there. I…thought of how easily you shifted before and wished so hard that I could do that too_.’

A whimper came as Jensen’s hand ran over a sore spot on Jared’s neck, but Jensen didn’t feel any blood, so he hoped it was just a sore muscle either from the beating or the shift. He did feel some tacky blood on a front leg, but Jared didn’t jerk or make a sound, so he assumed it might have come from one of the other wolves.

‘ _I remembered my dreams of running with you in your wolf form when I was a wolf. I thought of that and then I started to feel weird…but before I knew what was going on or those wolves knew it I’d…turned and…_ ’ Jared stopped to look into Jensen’s eyes, big gold eyes sad. _‘I didn’t wanna hurt ‘em, Jen. I don’t even remember what…I did hurt ‘em, didn’t I?’_

“Yeah, but it came down to you or them, Jay,” Jensen replied quietly. He could hear other sounds from outside the cave but ignored them for the moment. “I wish you hadn’t been alone when you shifted for the first time. I wish I’d been here for you like I should’ve been…and I wish to God that I’d been able to protect you from them because I never wanted you to know what it was like to kill to defend yourself.” He brushed his fingers through the thick fur around Jared’s head without fear of the wolf side reacting to such intimate contact. “I promise that you won’t ever have to again. I will keep my promise to protect you. Do you hurt anywhere I should know about? Have you tried to shift back yet?”

A sound from the front of the cave had the wolf tensing and Jensen whirled from where he’d been kneeling to shoot out a command. “Stay out, Chris!” He’d sensed who’d worked up the guts to explore the flickering light and odd smells in the cave. “He’s just adjusting to this and is still scared.”

Despite Jensen’s warning, Chris Kane’s head poked into the opening to look. He saw the lamp burning, he saw the fire, he took in Jensen, and then he took in the wolf that was trying to get up from where it seemed to be slumped against Jensen. He started to frown, but then something made him stop and stare at the wolf more closely.

“Jensen, is that…” He frowned a bit more as gold eyes looked at him before the wolf whined and tried to hide its head against Jensen’s thigh. “Holy shit,” he whispered, shocked. “He shifted?”

“Yeah, now I need you to leave me alone with him so I can get him calm and help him shift back.” Jensen caught the bag that was tossed, nodding his thanks to his friend for grabbing it from his Jeep. “Also, there was a third wolf after him. Keep an eye out. After I help him shift back, we’ll have to get him back to the jeep before I go and settle this with Rolston.”

Chris debated on arguing that perhaps Jensen should settle things with Rolston first but then he watched his friend’s fingers settled over the reddish colored wolf’s head. The wolf turned into the touch and Chris knew that no matter what else was going on, Jensen’s focus was right there beside him. Nodding, he backed away from the cave opening while communicating to the wolves with him that they’d wait.

Jensen built the fire more before digging into the bag. He knew Jared would need clothes after shifting back since his shirt had been ripped off of him, but until he actually shifted, he was more concerned with warming the wolf. He pulled a blanket out. “Have you tried to shift back, Jay?” he asked again. He figured the boy probably hadn’t because he was too scared and confused over what had happened.

‘ _N-no,_ ’ Jared replied, settling back down once they were alone again even though his ears pricked at all the new sounds he could hear more intently now. ‘ _I…I was scared to try and…it hurt a lot once I got here and laid down. I’m so tired, Jen. Is that normal or is it cause I’m only half wolf or because of the marks or…_ ’

Jensen placed the clothes by the small fire to begin to warm; he also took out a bottle of water for when he got his mate to shift back. He made certain anyone else was away from the cave opening so Jared wouldn’t feel threatened because he could sense the boy was still scared from what he’d endured at the other’s hands and then he spread the soft blanket over the wolf, settling down on the cold stone floor of the cave in this form rather than shifting.

“I’d shift so you could get used to that form, but I think right now you’d probably rather feel me like this, right?” he asked, smiling softly at the soft woof and letting his arm settle over Jared. He felt the wolf move slowly until he could rest his head close to Jensen’s neck. “I’m here now, Jay. I’ve got you,” Jensen whispered, letting his forehead rest against the wolf’s, slowly feeling the shudders that had been going through Jared start to slow down as if his mate was beginning to calm down.

“You’re tired because you’ve been through hell. You were still getting over your heat, whatever the hell Vic did to you wiped you out, and then you were hurt by those bastards. Shifting, at least at first, takes a lot out of you, so feeling tired is perfectly normal,” Jensen reassured him while adjusting the blanket to keep them covered only to discover that even as a wolf, Jared did not like blankets and his tail kept moving it away. “You’re going to sleep now because I’m with you to protect you. While you sleep I’m going to try to give you a crash course in wolf stuff 101.” He smiled as the wolf only blinked at him. “Yeah, our link will still work even while you sleep.”

Jared was wary about sleeping but both wolf and Omega were cold and exhausted, so he moved his body as close to Jensen as he could get, took another look from tired eyes, and then followed his instinct. He was surprised that he really didn’t feel out of sorts in this body; it actually felt normal to him, so he let his tongue dart out to lick over Jensen’s face and was rewarded with a deep laugh.

“Okay, you’re adjusting to this faster than I thought you would,” Jensen chuckled as the wolf settled back down with what sounded like a sigh of contentment as the cave began to warm. The wolf shifted one more time, seeking out additional heat from Jensen’s own body. “I love you, Jay,” he murmured, pressing his lips against soft fur while closing his eyes to focus on Jared’s slowly drifting thoughts to let their link open.

Jensen didn’t sleep even though his body would’ve liked to. He stayed awake to watch Jared sleep. The wolf was just as restless as the boy and seemed to move constantly. Finally, about an hour and a half after Jared settled into sleep, Jensen began to feel the change starting.

Pushing up on an elbow to run his fingers through thick fur in a soothing manner, he let his thoughts touch the sleeping mind, offering support. He realized that this time it was Jared’s subconscious that was reacting and causing his body to shift back as he was relaxed and feeling safe.

“Jay,” he whispered softly, brushing his fingertips over a bruise that was still on Jared’s jaw. “Sleep now. You’ve made me proud. Soon, very soon, we’ll be running in those woods together,” he promised, swallowing the burst of unexpected emotion that hit him as the young Omega turned into him, burying his face that was wet with tears shed in Jared’s sleep against his neck much like the wolf had done.

“Jensen?” Chris spoke quietly from the cave opening, keeping his distance. “Got a text from Chad. He says Rolston’s causing an uproar with the council. If you’re planning on facing him, then you need to do it soon.”

“I should get Jared someplace warm and safe first.” Jensen was rubbing his fingers over his mate’s bare back, not feeling the sigils like he had. “I don’t want to take him there, Chris. He’s new, scared, and too raw for that.”

“You need him with you, Jensen,” Chris replied seriously, understanding the concern but also the rules. “If you do this, then he’s going to be a part of it.”

Jensen wasn’t sure he wanted to put his mate in the middle of everything this soon, but he understood he really didn’t have a choice if he was going to go back and claim what was rightfully his. To take back what should have been his after his father’s death, Jensen would have to bring Jared into a world that was totally alien to him. Jared was just learning about himself and Jensen just wasn’t sure if the boy was ready for everything else yet.

He was about to tell Chris to give him a moment, to wait until Jared woke up on his own, when he felt the body in his arms jerk. He heard Jared whine and whimper as if in fear and then he caught the first glimpse of his memories and once again cursed Mark Rolston for what he’d done to his mate.

Flashes of memory began to chase Jared out of his safe dreams of green fields, forests and a cabin in the woods. Memories of the wolves who’d hurt him, who’d promised worse when Jensen arrived, as well as his fear when he’d run as his Alpha instructed.

Jared could feel the pain when he fell, hear the wolves that chased him, and knew he was going to die. He relived the terror that had built as he longed for the ability to be like his mate, to be like the father he never knew, to have the ability to shift just once.

He hadn’t been expecting the change when it happened; at first he’d been terrified when he fell to the ground as his body went through the painful process of its very first change. After that, all the Omega recalled was a mix of confused fear and the need to protect and get clear. He had flashes of the coppery taste of blood in his mouth and more blood spattering on his fur from the first nearly wild kill.

Jared thought he’d tried to beg the other wolf to leave him alone, tried to concentrate on finding the scent that had drawn him in this direction in the first place. But when the second wolf attacked, he thought he’d reacted. He wasn’t sure where the third wolf had gone because by then all Jared wanted to do was curl up and forget what he’d just seen…what he’d just done.

He woke up with a choked scream as he felt his new wolf form rip the second wolf’s throat out when it had gone to lunge at him. “Noooo!”

“Jay!”

The voice was sharp, pure Alpha, which managed to get through his hazy mind of fear and still half asleep confusion. He sat up, trying to place where he was and what had happened. “Jensen!” he gasped, lunging into the open arms of the Alpha kneeling in front of him. “I…killed…they…I…hey, I shifted back?” Jared didn’t immediately realize he was human until he realized he was clinging to Jensen with shaking arms.

“You defended yourself, Jared. That’s different than what they would’ve done to you,” Jensen told him, holding the shaking Omega tightly against him until he felt him calming down again. “And yeah, you shifted back in your sleep. It’s not unheard of for a first shift back to come in sleep.” He lifted Jared’s face up to smile into deep hazel eyes that still had too much fear and exhaustion for his liking. “As soon as you feel ready again, you can practice shifting…and this time I’ll be with you to help you through it and back.”

That made big eyes get even wider. “You think I’ll be able to shift again?” Jared hadn’t considered that something like this might happen more than once. Now he hoped he could shift again.

“Jay, you shifted once, so I’m positive you will be able to shift again,” Jensen promised, slipping his hands up to cup Jared’s face gently. “Now, before I help you out of this cave…can I do something?”

“If it involves kissing me then God, yes!” Jared blushed as he said it but then was lost when Jensen’s lips covered his in a deep kiss that took the Omega’s breath away. “I never thought I’d be alive for you to kiss me again, Jen,” he groaned against the hot mouth that he found he really wanted more of. “Would rather be dead than let any of them touch me or…Jensen?”

“I will gut the first wolf or human that touches you.” Jensen gentled his touch while ignoring the low cough from somewhere outside, lips caressing over Jared’s face. “Let’s get you dressed warmly and get out of this cave.”

Watching as Jared pulled on the heavy sweatshirt and changed into clean, undamaged jeans, Jensen stayed close as if knowing they both still needed it. “Jay? Can I ask what made you come this direction?” he asked, reaching out to steady the young man when Jared’s legs shook as if it felt weird for him to be on two instead of four.

“It’ll sound silly…but I thought…I thought I could smell you and I wanted to be where I could feel or scent you.” Jared’s eyes dropped, and as he looked back up, he saw that Jensen looked surprised for a second, and then he gave a smile that the younger man realized he’d seen on his Alpha very few times. “Jen?”

“I used to play here with Chris as a pup,” Jensen told him quietly, pulling a jacket out of the bag and helping Jared slide it on. “I haven’t been here in person in about 16 years, so I’m not sure if my scent would still be here but…”

Jared hesitated before taking a step into Jensen’s arms again, just wanting one more moment before they had to join others who he could tell were waiting. “I felt you here and it made me feel safe until you came for real,” he murmured. “Promise me…whatever it is you need to go and do, that you won’t get yourself killed. I…I love you, Jensen.”

“You’re the first person in…too long to say those words to me and mean them.” Jensen closed his eyes to keep the sudden burning tears from dropping. “I love you too, Jared Padalecki. And I swear that by confronting my past, I’m not just fighting for what should’ve been mine…but what will be _ours_.” He gave another softer kiss before slipping his hand down to mesh fingers with his mate. “Let’s go.”

Stepping out of the cave into bright sunlight told Jared that he’d slept longer than he expected and he shot a worried, guilty look beside him only to feel a tight squeeze to his hand in reassurance. Then he stopped dead at the sight of several men and a few wolves scattered around the area that had been dusted in snow. “J-Jensen?”

“Looks like Chris called in favors.” Jensen hadn’t really paid attention before to who or how many guys had been with Chris; now he did and was careful to step slightly in front of his mate as all eyes moved to Jared. “Should I ask what you promised them?”

“He didn’t have to promise anything…all he had to say was that you were back and that Rolston’s thugs had grabbed your mate.” Matt Cohen had been a longtime friend who kept in touch though he’d moved east years ago. “Of course, the suggestion that you might also finally decide to go shove it down the council’s throats and stake your claim might have been mentioned too.”

Jensen narrowed his eyes but focused on helping Jared down to solid ground. “Back off,” he growled to one curious wolf that got a little too close to sniff. “He’s still adjusting to things. Does your shoulder still hurt when a wolf comes around you?” He hadn’t thought to ask that although he’d noticed that almost all the sigils had faded to the point that no one but he or Jared would even notice them. Only the one on his stomach stubbornly remained.

“Not really…not like it did,” Jared admitted. He still felt a light twinge but wondered if that was more a mental thing. “I think if I get used to it not hurting, or if I stop expected every Alpha to attack or hurt me, then it might not hurt at all.”

“Kid, you’re Jensen’s and I promise that anyone who even thinks about touching you will have his heart ripped out.” Chris spoke up but kept his distance because he knew that Jensen was still in protective mode. “Hartley decided to play rat and is willing to turn on Rolston…if he gets removed as Alpha. He’ll testify to what the bastard has done…including your father’s ‘accident’ and his plans for Jared,” he told his friend as they began to move to where Chris had brought the vehicles. “Welling…he was another story, but he won’t be an issue for Jared again.”

“There won’t be issues for Jared, period,” Jensen muttered, determined to keep his mate out of any danger or pack issues for as long as possible. “I will go back, exile be damned. I will face the council and that bastard Rolston, who I imagine thinks I’m dead by now; I will stake a claim to the right that has been my family’s birthright since the pack was formed, but I’m not doing it for me or even the pack itself.” He paused to look around him, seeing curious eyes gazing back from those with them. “I’m doing this for my father…and for my mate.”

Jensen looked beside him and smiled softly as he brushed a piece of unruly hair off of a pale face. “I accepted exile at 17 over having that bastard try to be Alpha to me when I knew he killed my father. I accepted the title of lone wolf because I really didn’t give a damn but that’s changed. I found my mate and I will give him a home. I will give him a pack and I will kick Rolston’s ass for what he did to him.”

“Now there’s the guy I grew up with,” Matt laughed, noticing the subtle changes in Jensen and realizing the cause of those had to be the tall and still slightly gangly looking young Omega beside him.

It was clear now to those wolves around that the Omega was a wolf of some kind. Matt could tell that Jared was a half-wolf, but he swore he’d never scented a half-blooded wolf with such a strong a scent. According to Chris this kid was raised to think his wolf side was bad and he’d been punished for it, so he looked forward to seeing his wolf form…when Jensen let them get close to him that is.

Jared kept quiet until they were alone in the Jeep, driving away from the woods and towards what he guessed was where Jensen had grown up. “Jen?” He stared at his hands rather than the Alpha next to him. “Were you going to tell me about your past? All this Alpha stuff?” he asked quietly, still unsure about the things the Alpha had said to him that he hadn’t told his mate yet. “Will you lose your chance at reclaiming your title because of me or…I don’t wanna make you embarrassed or…”

Jensen looked over to see the way Jared was chewing his lip and sighed. “I didn’t tell you everything because at the time it wasn’t important. I didn’t plan on facing my past or the reasons I was exiled. I didn’t even plan on taking you anywhere near this place…but Rolston’s decision to play big dog and go after you changed things so…here we are.” He paused, reaching over to take a nervous hand into his before deciding how much to tell him right then.

He did explain the basics so Jared would understand the situation more. Jensen told about his father’s death and the trouble after it when Rolston staked a claim that the pack council allowed because they felt that at 17, Jensen was too young to assume the position of pack Alpha.

“Rolston and my Dad had been butting heads for over a year because Dad was more traditional…I mean he was willing to look toward change, but Rolston only wanted change if it suited his needs. I was away the weekend my Dad had his ‘accident’ and could never get anyone to listen to me that there was no way he’d been drinking when he wrecked. The Council accepted Rolston’s claim and when I refused, I was exiled and forced away from where I grew up…and the rest of my family.” He slowed down behind the SUV that he was following and felt the warmth of his mate as Jared moved as close to him as he could in the front seat.

“Back there when I said it didn’t matter to me before about being a lone wolf or being exiled, I meant it. I didn’t care…until that night in Cody when I met you.” Jensen brought the hand he was holding up to kiss it because he wanted to. “Meeting you, finding you, letting myself love you…it all changed how I felt because I want to give you a home, a family…a pack that will accept you as much as I do.”

“Will they?” Jared had his doubts. “I’m not a full blooded wolf, Jensen. I…I don’t know anything about being a proper wolf or…”

“Sweetheart, you just have to be yourself and let them adjust to you.” Jensen heard a beep from ahead and looked up to frown slightly.

The village proper still looked the same as when he left it 15 years earlier. The pack lands were huge, so not everyone lived all grouped together. It was like a small rural town with people scattered everywhere, but the center of the town still had the large Pack Council building which right now, as Jensen pulled to a stop in front of it, seemed to have a lot of activity.

There were a couple large black SUVs that screamed fed parked at angles near the building as well as several local trucks and cars that let Jensen know that whatever was going on had drawn a lot of people.

“I want you to stay beside me or close to Chris or Matt.” Jensen would have rather leave Jared out of this but knew the boy needed to be there. “There will be some growling, some yelling and probably a lot of threats but no matter what happens, you will be safe, okay?”

Jared nodded, refusing to be scared even though the moment he heard the loud outraged voice of the man who’d hurt him back on the mountain, it was hard not to draw back or want to hide.

“I’m with you, Jay,” Jensen whispered against his ear, lips brushing his cheek. He met Chris’s eyes before sliding them to Jared in a silent message to watch him. Chris nodded in agreement. “Let’s do this.” Together, the three of them entered the building.

Inside the meeting place, one of the original structures still left of the pack’s founding, people were packed wall to wall. Word had quickly spread that federal authorities had come with the very real intent of arresting the Alpha.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Mark Rolston sneered as he glared into the smirking face of a very happy Chad Michael Murray. “You of all people have no right to come here with these insane claims or expect me to step down or let myself be arrested!” He shoved a finger against the 6’ leanly built wolf’s chest only to stop when a dark suited fed pulled a gun and Chad’s smile grew.

“Yeah, poke me again. That’ll get you charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a federal agent, jackass!” Chad shot a look around and pinned the oldest man in the room with a steely-eyed glare. “Every single one of you knows kidnappings or anything serious on pack land fall under federal guidelines. You also should know that covering for this dick in any illegal crap he pulls will make you accessories so what’s it gonna be? You gonna protect the integrity of this pack or side with Rolston and watch everything that this pack used to stand for burn?”     

For the most part, the elders in the room had been with the pack before Rolston became Alpha, but now no one seemed sure what to do. Most were scared of the man and his group of thugs so the thought of standing up now and possibly getting hurt or having their own families hurt was difficult.

“You have no proof I kidnapped anyone or that I hired anyone to kidnap some…some human Omega.” Rolston said the word as if it was distasteful and gave Chad a self-confident smirk. “Without any proof you can take your so-called badge and get the hell off of..ugh!”

Chad grabbed the wrist that went to shove him, eyes slitting dangerously. “This ‘so-called badge’ puts me above your Alpha crap, old man,” he gritted tightly, scenting the change that was coming. “I do have proof. I also have proof that you sicced your goons on the rightful heir to this pack’s Alpha status and tried to have him killed…after you tortured his mate…who, by the way, _isn’t_ human. Oh yeah, Hartley’s already back in town spilling his guts about all your dirty little deals.”

“No one will believe that punk, Murray,” Rolston scoffed, but he didn’t sound so confident as he heard whispers from the elders. “This punk is a Beta! His badge has no power here! He’s got no say in this pack! I’m your Alpha! I say what happens on this land! I say what…”

“Yeah? And I lay down challenge to that title as is my right since you murdered my father to get it.”

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 9

**Lone Wolf**

**[](https://imgbb.com/)**

**Chapter Nine**

Jensen Ackles stepped through the doors and heard gasps and whispers, but he stayed focused on the shocked and then furious face of Mark Rolston. “You tried to take something from me earlier when you tried to kill my mate; that didn’t work. You tried to kill me by siccing Hartley and Welling and their pals on me while my hands were cuffed with silver so I couldn’t shift or defend myself; that didn’t work either. Now? Now, old man, I’m doing what I should’ve done 15 years ago. I’m challenging you for the title of Alpha of this pack.”

The entire room had fallen silent as this was happening. It was clear from Rolston’s face that he hadn’t ever expected to see or hear from Jensen again but before he could recover his composure, a gnarled hand with a strong grip was pulling the Alpha around.

“Did you do this? Did you go after Jensen and his mate?” the oldest of the Elders, a pure-blooded wolf, demanded in a strong voice that belied his small stature and wrinkled bronzed skin. “Answer me! Did you defy our decrees by attacking him? And then not even with a fair fight?”

“Get your hands off me, you old freak!” Rolston snapped, jerking his shoulder free and thrusting out a hand, pointing at Jensen and then to younger men in the crowd. “Remove him! He’s exiled and has no right to be on this land! He’s…”

“Stay where you are pups!” the old Alpha snapped in a tone that was deep with power as he straightened to his full height, no longer stooped or bent. His hard bright blue eyes bored into Rolston’s. “Did you send those wild dogs to kill Jensen and his mate?” he demanded again, tone no longer the quiet hushed one it had always been. “You may still call yourself ‘pack’ Alpha but the council does not have to recognize you as such if I have cause to believe you have stepped over the line one time too many, pup. Speak!”

As Rolston stared at the old man, looking ready to rip his throat out, the other elders started whispering among themselves and looking between Jensen and the young man behind him who appeared torn between clinging to Jensen’s arm or running out of the building.

“Ackles chose exile! He lost his right to lay claim to anything! He can’t just come back now and change his mind,” the Alpha sneered as he shot a hard look toward Jared. “Besides that, he mated a human! Even if he hadn’t been exiled, he still wouldn’t be able to challenge me because of…what? What are you senile old bastards laughing at?”

“Probably you, dickwad.” Chad leaned against a bench in the room, motioning to the two agents with him to back off a bit. “Take a better look…or I guess a better sniff, Rolston. I don’t know how the hell you missed it, but this kid? I’m scenting a wolf, and I’ll bet the elders are, too.”

“That’s a lie, a trick! He’s a human!” Rolston took a step forward but was instantly pushed back. “Ackles has no right to challenge! This pack kicked him out due to his refusal to respect and obey…”

“No, that’s not how it happened. You know it and they know it,” Jensen broke in, fury in his heart but knowing he needed to handle this matter carefully. “I was never ‘kicked’ out per se. I chose exile over dealing with you. Choosing it is different according to Pack law than having it forced on me by the elders.” He smirked at the stunned expression on Rolston’s face. “I also retained my right to challenge you since it’s my birthright…my family founded this pack. I challenge you. Only you. None of that proxy crap like you tried to pull with my Dad.”

Rolston glared. “You think I should fight a wolf half my age?” he scoffed, flipping a hand in the air as if blowing the absurd suggestion off. “Don’t be silly, boy. The Elders will allow me to choose a proxy if…”

“No.” Another voice from the rear of the room spoke up as a matriarchal older woman, a Beta who looked to be in her early 90’s, stepped forward. “You will accept the pup’s challenge and you will fight him yourself. No proxy, no cheating, and if you refuse, I will strip you of that title right now and these federal boys can haul your cocky butt off of pack land. I have no reason not to believe everything that Chad Michael has accused you of. Anyone with eyes can see the burns on Jensen’s wrists and…well, you bring a very interesting Omega amongst us, pup.”

Jared tensed as intense blue eyes pinned him even though he could feel Jensen’s thoughts speaking silently to him, reassuring him that he was safe and that the woman wouldn’t harm him. She slowly approached, her gnarled cane tapping on the wooden floor with each step.

“Work on your whining and counterargument, Alpha Rolston. I want to meet the boy Michael’s pup has brought home.” She stepped closer but not close enough that Jensen would feel his Omega was being threatened, and then peered up at both young wolves. “You look like your father, pup.”

Jensen kept one hand on Jared’s arm in reassurance while lifting an eyebrow with a slow smile. “How old are you now, Marylese?” he asked curiously, showing no fear even though he’d felt her hand on his butt more than once as a pup. He knew his question had been taken in the tone it was intended when she laughed. “He’s scared, so don’t go grilling him, huh?”

“Oh, you shush yourself now and tell me the boy’s first name.” She gazed up at a wary Jared, easily scenting and sensing his fear and confusion at what was going on around him. “What side of his line is wolf?”

“His father’s, but he never knew him. He…just shifted for the first time yesterday when he was running from Rolston’s thugs.” Jensen felt Jared’s body pressing against his back as if this little old woman was a scary monster, and perhaps to the young half-wolf she seemed like it. “His mother’s family put binding sigils on him to hide him and prevent him from shifting, but most of them seem to have gone away.”

Sharp eyes gazed at Jared for a long moment as if studying the shy Omega before the old woman nodded. “What’s his name, Jensen?” she asked again.

“J-Jared…ma’am,” Jared answered for himself in a whisper soft voice, eyes on the floor rather than the woman. “Jared Padalecki.”

There were some startled gasps and sharp looks at this but Jared didn’t see them. His mate did, but before Jensen could respond or ask any questions, the old Beta patted his arm in a motion to wait for a better time. “So it seems like you found your soul mate then, the one in those dreams you had as a pup. Michael said you would when it was time. He’d be proud of you, pup.”

“Sometimes I have my doubts about that,” Jensen sighed, looking over to see that Rolston was now engaged in an argument with three other elders. “I never should’ve left like I did. I doubt if Dad would be proud of me for that.”

Marylese stretched up to pat his face while offering Jared a calm smile. “Michael suspected something might happen to him, Jensen. He and your mother both knew Rolston wanted to be Alpha and after his proxy lost in the challenge circle, it was only a matter of time. He knew it. Why do you think they suggested that you go off with Christian and Chad Michael that weekend?” She caught his look. “There are reasons for everything, pup. Not all of it fair or right, but reasons. You needed to leave to become a man. You needed to find yourself and your mate. You needed to learn to care for someone more than yourself. Now it’s time to take back what has always been yours.”

“I will not accept this upstart exile’s challenge!” Rolston yelled, enraged that he was being forced by these elders into a situation that would’ve been unnecessary if those assholes had killed both the loner and his mate like they’d been told to. “He has no…”

“Jensen, through his bloodline, is the only one with a legitimate claim to challenge you,” the old Alpha interrupted as he glared into the furious eyes of the Alpha. “Only because you took care of any witnesses was the murder of Jensen’s father unable to be proved. It was only because of Michael’s last request that we did not allow Jensen to take the position 15 years ago. Now he has returned to challenge you for that place and you will not refuse him…unless you want us to automatically remove you from this pack?”

Rolston’s face was red with rage and it looked like he might attack the elder, but instead he shoved past the small group toward the door, pausing to spit at Jensen’s feet. “Leave the Omega behind. I’ll be waiting to finish this in the circle,” he growled, hate plain in both his face and voice. “Your father got lucky against my proxy that day. You won’t be so lucky against me, punk. This is my pack now, but if you want to die like your old man then fine. We’ll finish this.”

“I could arrange a sniper,” Chad muttered under his breath as he wandered over. “You up to this, Jensen?” he asked with concern.

Jensen had his doubts, but it was too late to back out or put it off now so he nodded. He pulled off his jacket off and handed it to Jared who was nervously chewing his lip. “This won’t be a fight like you’re used to, Jared,” he told him quietly as they followed the elders down a path to a large clearing. “When wolves challenge, the fight is done in wolf form…and unless the one wolf submits, it’s also usually to the death so…if you want to hang back with Marylese and Chad, I’ll understand. This…this really isn’t something I want you to see anyway if I can keep you from it.”

“No. I want…I need to be with you to support you even if all I can do is stand back and try not to be scared for you,” Jared replied. He could feel many sets of eyes on him but tried not to let it bother him. “Jensen?” He hesitated, afraid to ask what he wanted in front of so many strangers but before he could shake his head or say never mind, he was being tugged into strong arms and held.

“I love you, Jared Padalecki,” Jensen murmured, ignoring everyone around them as he took this one last moment to hold his mate. “Stay back and do not come close to the circle until it’s over, no matter what. Wait until Chris says it’s safe, okay? I’ll be fine, but I need to know you’re safe too.”

Jared nodded, trying to ignore the sudden flash of images of blood, fur, sharp teeth and Jensen lying on the ground dead. “I believe in you, and I love you, Jensen,” he said before Jensen pulled back to walk toward the large clearing lined with stones in a circular shape. “Please be careful.”

“He’s gonna be fine, kiddo,” Chris reassured him, stepping forward so that he was on one side of the young Omega while Chad moved to the other side.

Marylese and the two oldest of the male elders stood around the circle. Mark Rolston was already inside, glaring with murder at them all. “For those new to the pack or who have never witnessed a challenge, this is a fight for the right to lead our pack.” The old woman’s voice rang out loud and clear, easily heard over the mumbling and murmurs of others in the background. “It is single combat. It does not end until one of you gives in or a killing blow to the throat is made. You will fight in wolf form; you will not shift back unless you are wounded, and at that point, you have lost the fight. The loser, if he still lives, will be exiled for life. He must immediately leave the pack and have no contact with any wolf here. He may not ever threaten the winner or his mate. Do you both understand and accept these rules?”

“Old time traditions for an out of date pack,” Rolston sneered, but he shifted to his large dark grey form, throwing his head back to howl.

Jensen scowled at the older Alpha but nodded his understanding. He started to step into the circle but paused at the edge to look back, meeting the worried and frightened eyes of his mate. ‘I love you.’ He mouthed silently and saw a shaky smile and a return nod. Then he saw Jared’s eyes go wide with terror and heard him scream.

“ ** _Jensen_**!”

The sense of danger was there even as Jensen was whirling to see the dark grey body lunging at him. He twisted to the side, barely avoiding the snapping teeth and sharp claws. He felt his ankle twist as he fell to the ground, but he was shifting even as he fell, knowing he didn’t stand a chance against Rolston as a human.

“He broke the rules of conduct! This damn fight should be stopped now!” Chris was yelling to the grim faced Elders while trying to keep an eye on Jared whose whole body was now one big vibrating nerve. “Rolston attacked before Jensen was inside the circle, Marylese! He was going for his throat while Jensen was still human!”

“If we stop the fight now Jensen will never know if he won the Alpha status fairly or not, Christian,” the old Beta replied grimly, watching Jared from the corner of her eye. “Did you see the boy shift?” she asked curiously.

“I didn’t see it happen, but I saw his wolf form.” Chris was trying to pay attention to the woman’s question while still keeping an eye on Jared and monitoring the fight in the ring. “He told Jensen once that he’d dreamed of being a reddish colored wolf with black spots and white on the tips of his ears. I’d never seen that kind of wolf before, but I’ll be damned if that wasn’t just what he looked like. And he had the deepest gold eyes I’ve ever seen too.”

The Elders exchanged looks, but Chris didn’t notice as he watched Chad put a gentle hand on Jared’s shoulder, keeping the young man from moving closer to the brutal fight now starting in the circle.

“So the line didn’t die out as some have said,” an old man murmured with a look to the tall young Omega whose deep hazel eyes flecked with gold and blues were locked on the silver wolf. “Could he be the missing one?”

“I guess we’ll see,” Marylese returned but then returned her focus on the fight inside the circle.

The two wolves circled one another once Jensen took the fight inside the circle. Rolston lunged forward several times, but Jensen used his youth and speed to his advantage and easily countered every move the older Alpha made.

‘ _It’s been awhile since you had to fight for yourself, old man. You’ve gotten rusty at doing your own dirty work._ ’ Since he had spent most of his time in human form, Jensen’s previous injuries hadn’t healed fully yet which made it difficult to hold his own but so far he’d managed to avoid Rolston except for one serious blow from a swiping claw. ‘ _I’m not backing down and I won’t give in. You’ve run this pack into the ground and it’s time to change that._ ’

‘ _You won’t change anything, punk_!’ Rolston twisted, teeth snapping. He tasted blood and heard a sound that told him he’d finally caught a piece of his opponent. ‘ _You might be younger, faster, and more agile than I am but I have something you’ll never have, Ackles_.’

‘ _An arrogant ego that still makes you think that you’ll win_?’ Jensen’s lips curled into a snarl when a sound from outside the circle caught his ears. ‘ _What? Jared_?’

‘ _That’s your problem, Ackles. Too damn worried about a mangy half-breed,_ ’ Rolston sneered. ‘ _Maybe a silver bullet to the heart will teach you what’s important._ ’

‘ _I know what’s important, old man_ ,’ Jensen shot back just as it seemed like all hell broke loose behind him.

Jared had been watching the fight. He knew Jensen had been hurt at least twice even before noticing his mate’s agility was starting to falter. He nervously shifted from foot to foot, ignoring Chris’s reassurances that Jensen had it all under control.

He trusted his mate. He’d seen Jensen fight but there was just something that was making the Omega uneasy about this fight. Jared was just turning to say something to Chris and the overly hyper Beta who was on his other side when a sudden flash of light made him frown. “What’s that?” he asked, pointing.

“What’s what and for the love of God would you stop fidgeting? I swear you and Chad are fidgeting in sync or…holy shit!” Chris looked to where Jared was pointing just in time to see a thin red line and then just a dot…a red dot that settled. “Laser sight! The goddamn bastard has a sniper in the trees! Chad!”

Chad Michael Murray had also seen the red dot and recognized it for what it was. He was just starting to snap an order to someone behind him when suddenly he had to lunge forward to try to grab for the kid who had just broken away from him and Chris. “Jared! Jared, wait a second! Don’t go…oh crap! Jensen! Sniper!”

Jensen’s hair on the back of his neck was up. He sensed the danger even as he heard the shouts from behind him that warned him of the literal target on his back. Jensen began to move when he saw Rolston unexpectedly shift out of wolf form and go for the gun he’d kept hidden. Growling, Jensen was about to shift as well when suddenly he was hit hard and knocked to the side.

There was the crack of a rifle shot the high-pitched yelp of a wolf in pain, and then a shocking blow of pain and fear inside Jensen. He was already back in human form when he rolled to his feet and saw Rolston, gun in hand, aiming it at the sleek reddish colored wolf that lay crumpled on the dirt. The wolf was half in and half out of the circle; the shot from the sniper had hit it in the hind-quarter as it was shoving its mate out of danger.

“Jared!” Jensen took a step towards his Omega, but then froze when Rolston cocked his gun and pointed it straight at the wolf’s head. “Damn it, Rolston! You broke every rule there is to break! You attacked me before I was in the circle. You just had someone try to shoot me. You fucking switched forms in the middle of the fight and you have a weapon! Even if you kill me now, there’s no way the pack will let you stay Alpha.” He noticed the Elders were still just standing there. Chris started forward only to stop at a raised hand from Marylese while Chad and his federal backup where bolting for the tree line to find the sniper.

“Put the gun down, Rolston. Leave Jared alone and I won’t press the issue. You can walk out of here…you’ll be in exile but you’ll be alive.” Jensen’s heart was breaking at the tiny whimpers of pain coming from the wolf but he didn’t dare move as long as the gun was still aimed at Jared’s head. He held his breath as the wolf tried to pull itself up. ‘ _Jay, don’t move_ ,’ he urged silently.

“I can kill every single wolf that stands against me here and now. That might be better…then I won’t have to deal with these damn old bastards and their antiquated rules!” Rolston shifted the gun so it now pointed at Jensen. “Your damn Omega attacked me. I should kill it for that since it clearly doesn’t know its place in the pecking order.” He smirked and glanced down at the writhing Omega. “I’ll shoot him again and then I’ll shoot you. A silver bullet while in wolf form hurts a lot more…especially if it’s not a kill shot. Or maybe I _won’t_ shoot him again. Maybe I’ll just let you watch as the freak dies in agony from the poisoning of the silver in the first bullet. That would be even worse than death because if a wolf loses its true mate they say it’ll either go mad with grief or die of a broken heart.”

Jensen’s jaw twitched. He was fighting rage as well as panic since he could sense Jared’s growing pain and terror. He longed to rip the sneering Alpha’s throat out but he needed to keep that weapon trained on him if only to give Chris or Chad time to try to step in or get Jared to safety.

“Hurt him again…move that gun again…and you’d better kill me because if you don’t, I will spend the rest of my life hunting you down like the rabid dog that you’ve always been,” Jensen growled, sounds and scents from around the circle no longer mattering to him. All he saw and heard was Jared and the gun that could kill his mate if he didn’t take Rolston out soon.

“It’s not Jared you care about, Rolston. It’s me. So either face me or kill me but leave him alone.” Jensen shifted slightly on the balls of his feet, attempting to get a bit more room when the gun rose, the hammer pulled back. Jensen was sharply focused on the finger that was moving to the trigger guard, but then he saw something even more terrifying than the method of his own demise. “Jared, no! Stay down!”

“You think I’ll fall for that obvious ploy, pup?” Rolston sneered, finger tightening on the trigger. “I hope you see your no-good old man when you get to hell, Ackles. I’ll be sure to send your…what? No! What is this? No, this isn’t…argh!!!”

Sharp teeth sank into the arm holding the gun as with a sudden surge of strength, Jared lunged up from where he’d fallen to grab on with all his might. He used the weight in his wolf body to knock Rolston to the ground, teeth staying locked tight into the arm. He was unable to stand as the wound he had burned like fire and his rear legs collapsed as he let out a tiny muffled yipe of pain.

The gun dropped and Rolston struggled to shove and push wounded wolf off of him only to freeze at the sound of a growl nearby; he turned and saw bright green eyes glaring from the silver wolf’s face.

‘ _It’s done. You’re done_.’ Jensen spoke coldly, padding closer to gently nudge Jared with his nose, trying to get him to unclench his jaw while speaking to his mate alone. ‘ _Jay, let go now. He’s not going to hurt you or me or anyone. Let go, sweetheart._ ’

Jared was in pain and scared but did as Jensen said. He opened his mouth and painfully rolled off the man. He tried to crawl closer to Jensen who had immediately put himself between his mate and Rolston. ‘ _J…Jen? H-hurts_ ,’

‘ _I know it does, Jay. Just hang on for me…and close your eyes_ for a minute.’ Jensen felt the pain. He knew his young mate was scared of the pain and possibly scared to shift back. He wanted to go to him right away, but he knew he had to finish this for both their sakes. He just didn’t want the boy to watch.

“You…you all saw his mangy mongrel attack me!” Rolston shouted while clutching his bleeding arm, looking to those wolves now gathered outside the circle. “An Omega…a non-pack Omega…a damn half-breed, attacked your Alpha. I demand it be put to death! I demand ugh…”

“You lost your right to demand anything when that sniper fired at Jensen.” Marylese spoke from where she stood, eyes hard as she looked at the now former Alpha and to the silver wolf. “You chose deceit and lies over decency and honor.

“It is true that normally an Omega who attacks an Alpha would be punished, but this Omega was attacking in defense of his mate and Alpha. In addition, this boy is quite unlike most other Omegas in this pack or others.” The old woman gazed down to see gold eyes squinting not only in pain but also with fear that he’d be punished for his actions. “Look at his markings. Look at those eyes. He is kin to the Padalecki pack. Those Omegas seldom bowed to anyone other than their own mates and they were fiercely protective. I expect his human side is what still makes him shaky and unsure of his place but that too shall change in time.

“You are a disgrace to being called an Alpha in general much less pack Alpha, which you never deserved to be called in the first place.” Marylese stepped into the circle but spared the former Alpha no further glance as she moved to where Jared was slumped. “From its creation this pack has been led by an Ackles. It shall be led by an Ackles from this day forward, and hopefully his pups will carry on that tradition.”

Rolston frowned as he realized no one was moving, no one was objecting; it seemed like the old woman had spoken for the pack. “No! This is my…”

‘ _Not anymore it isn’t,_ ’ Jensen replied and moved swiftly to get this unpleasant task over with.

In his years growing up, Jensen had seen his father remove several members from the pack; Michael Ackles’ preferred method was exile. He hadn’t liked to kill an offending wolf unless or there was truly no other choice.

Jensen would’ve preferred to exile the man; he probably would exile those who supported him but in Rolston’s case, the young Alpha understood that exile would never work. The man was too arrogant and too dangerous to exile because the risk was too high that he would come back and be a threat to not only the pack as a whole but also to Jared and any children they might one day have.

A low whine reminded him of what Rolston had already cost him in addition to his 15 years of exile and his family, so while killing wasn’t something Jensen wanted to do, it was something the wolf side of him was willing to do to protect what was his.

He’d seen Alphas draw this type of thing out, but he didn’t have the time or inclination right then. “ _Close your eyes, Jared_ ,” he repeated and waited until his mate had obeyed. Then in the blink of an eye, his powerful wolf jaws snapped over the struggling man’s (he wished it was the wolf’s) throat. He heard a strangled scream that only lasted for a second or two, and then Jensen was letting go with an internal cringe. The next sound had him shifting back and taking the four steps that put him on the ground beside Jared.

“Jay!” Jensen sat down beside his mate, his hands going immediately into soft thick fur over Jared’s head and moving slowly down until he reached the bloody wound and heard a whimper. “Shhh, sorry, sorry. It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m with you now and I’ll get you fixed up. Marylese?” He looked up when a gnarled hand laid over his. “It’s just a graze, right? The silver didn’t go in too deep? He’ll heal from this, right?”

“Yes, Alpha, your mate will heal. Right now we need to get him inside so the healers and I can treat his wounds,” she replied, meeting Jensen’s startled eyes as he reacted to her words. “You won. You earned your birthright and the right to be our pack Alpha like your father before you. Anyone who disagrees can get over themselves or leave…but that is a matter to be dealt with after we have treated your mate. Christian!”

Jared was conscious and had managed to pull himself into Jensen’s lap the moment he sat down. He tensed at the thought of other hands on him, whimpering, but it was becoming hard to focus his thoughts to speak to Jensen as he felt so cold and the pain in his hind leg was really bad now.

“I have him.” Jensen shot his friend a look that clearly said to stay back as he struggled to get to his feet with the added weight of Jared’s wolf body held carefully in his arms. When he was standing and steady, he eyed the old woman. “Where can I take him?”

“Your mother still lives in your old family home but…” Marylese glanced back at the oldest of the men to exchange silent words before nodding. “Follow me. I think the place I have in mind will suit you both now and in the future. It’s is a long walk which won’t usually be a problem. Can you carry him or would you prefer to travel by vehicle this time? I think a vehicle will be both faster and easier on him.”

That made Jensen’s mind up; he’d do anything to ease Jared’s pain and relieve his suffering as quickly as possible. He nodded to Marylese while softly whispering to the wolf in his arms. Several others in the pack nodded respectfully to him before retreating from the clearing.

Chad and his agents had returned from arresting the sniper in the trees. Right now they were working to get the body wrapped up and conducting interviews, planning to arrest anyone who’d worked with Rolston. As a vehicle rumbled into the clearing, Chad called out a few last orders before joining Chris at Jensen’s side.

The pickup was old and Jensen lifted his brow when an old man who looked about 90 waved at him from behind the wheel. Marylese climbed into the cab while Chris and Chad helped Jensen lift his mate into the bed of the truck and settled in beside him.

“It looks like a deep graze. The silver from the bullet is adding to his pain but Marylese and whoever the pack healer is now should be able to help him without any problems.” Chris had inspected the wound and reported to Jensen, but he wasn’t sure his words had registered because the new pack Alpha seemed to be totally focused on the shaking furry body lying across his lap. “The kid’s got guts, I’ll give him that. He was running, and he shifted as he was jumping at Rolston, even before Chad or I could think to shift.”

‘ _…in trouble_?’ Jared’s voice in Jensen’s head was soft, shaky. He wanted to shift back to feel Jensen better, but he was scared that it would cause even more pain.

“No, you’re not in trouble, Jay,” Jensen reassured him and knew that he would make damn certain of that. He was sitting with his back braced against the cab of the truck and keeping his hands on Jared to soothe the frightened wolf as he lay on his lap under a blanket to help keep him warm. “You saved my life…twice. By the way, we will be talking about you taking too many risks later on, but since we’re both still alive, I won’t fault your decisions. I’m just sorry you got hurt again, sweetheart.”

‘ _Couldn’t…let him hurt you, Jen_ ,’ Jared nuzzled his head closer to Jensen’s stomach, needing the connection right then. ‘ _Jensen? What…what was she talkin’ about? Why…does it matter about my…father’s pack?’”_

Jensen wasn’t totally sure himself about that, but he would find out soon. Right then he just wanted to get Jared inside a warm building. He looked up as the truck slowed down, blinking at what he saw at the end of the gravel driveway. He couldn’t help the smile that started to spread across his face. “Jared? Babe? I think I found your cabin in the woods next to a creek.”

The cabin wasn’t as big as the one Chris had in Cody, but it was still good-sized and built of stone and wood. It had two stories with a tiny deck off what was probably the master bedroom with a huge stone chimney that would heat the whole cabin.

‘ _Cool_!’ Jared forgot his pain for a moment and tried to stand on his own only to fall back down with a yelp. He had to let Jensen carry him into the cabin where a fire was already roaring in the fireplace in the main room. Jensen was relieved that the room was already comfortably warm. Then he felt his mate tense as he picked up the scent of a stranger. ‘ _Jensen?_ ’

“It’s the healer,” Marylese said as if she sensed the young Omega’s concern, and she motioned to the steps. “Take him upstairs and put him to bed, but do not let him shift yet. The wound must be cleaned and dressed before he shifts or it could make things worse.”

Jensen smiled as the old woman began barking orders to Chris and Chad and ordered the slow moving old Alpha to leave before Jared was overwhelmed by another unfamiliar scent. He concentrated on getting Jared up the stairs and situated on the large heavy bed. “Hey, settle down. You need to stay still so you don’t make this worse,” he urged when he felt the body try to get up. “Jared, lie still. It doesn’t matter if blood or fur gets on the covers.” He sensed the boy’s concern and stretched out beside him so he could be close and brush his fingers through the thick reddish fur. “Have I told you how gorgeous you are in both forms?”

If Jensen thought it possible, he would’ve sworn Jared could even blush in wolf form and he chuckled. “I love you so much, Jay.” He rested his hand on the side of Jared’s face and smiled as a shy tongue licked his cheek. “We need to discuss wolf kisses too, but it can wait. Now I want you to relax and try to sleep through this. I’ll be with you when you wake up and this time I swear it will all seem a lot better and hopefully less confusing.” He kissed the center of the wolf’s forehead like he would Jared’s head, smiling when he heard a small woof. He continued to stroke Jared’s soft fur until the wolf’s eyes slowly closed and his breathing evened out.

Marylese entered the room with a short middle-aged woman with bright red hair and a large quilted bag. Both women began to pull things out of the bag that she would be needed to stitch and treat the wound so it would heal properly. Jensen raised his eyebrows at Marylese. “What do you know about him?”

“What do you know is a better question, Alpha,” she returned, laughing at Jensen’s eyeroll. “You should get used to the title since that’s what you are now, pup.”

“I don’t know as much as I obviously need to,” Jensen replied worriedly. “He said his father’s kin didn’t approve of his human mother any more than her family approved of her mating with a wolf.” Jensen stayed at Jared’s side while the women cleaned, stitched, and lit candles. He watched Jared sleep, his hand remaining on the soft fur between his ears because when he moved it, his mate whined in his sleep. “Jared said he doesn’t really remember his father at all. His mother died when he was four, and her family was really terrible to him.” He frowned as he thought to the lost little boy he shared dreams with. “They tortured him, covered him with marks and symbols. They’ve just about all disappeared now – they’ve been fading as he learned more about himself and his past. A really deep one vanished after he shifted for the first time. That mark on his stomach is the only one left. It’s supposed to be what kept his father’s pack from scenting Jared.”

“Ohh, so Jared is the boy with all the symbols, the one you dreamed of.” Marylese nodded, looking pleased. “You were meant to find him, Jensen. True bonds, lifemates, are rare in this modern day but they still exist. And Alpha must be patient enough to keep looking and the Omega must be strong enough to withstand the natural desire to take a knot.”

Jensen’s lips curved as he considered Jared’s words from before. “Jared’s strong for sure. He’s going to be a stubborn Omega…a stubborn and independent mate, but I wouldn’t have him any other way. He’s not a full-blooded wolf, but I couldn’t love him any more than I do.” He met Marylese’s knowing gaze. “If I’m pack Alpha, then he’s going to be given the respect he deserves as my mate.

“I know the rules, but I also know my mother never walked behind my father or allowed any wolf to speak down to her. Jared is my Omega, my mate, but he will be treated as my second. He will be respected or someone else can run this place and we’ll make our own pack elsewhere.” He glanced at the thin line of stitches; he knew that they might leave a small scar but wouldn’t affect Jared when they ran through the woods. “Can he shift back or does he need to stay like this for a bit more?” He loved his mate’s wolf form but missed feeling those long arms and legs when Jared would wrap himself around him in his sleep.

“He can shift whenever he feels it’s time,” the healer, a Beta from Jensen’s scenting, replied while packing her bag; she held out a small bottle of pain pills. “He might have pain. Let him eat and then give him one of these.” She stood up and looked at them both: the strong protective Alpha sitting protectively over his beloved Omega mate. “It’s been a long time since I’ve midwifed for babies instead of pups. His human side is strong, so it’ll be interesting to see what your first litter will be, Alpha.”

Jensen felt his own cheeks turn red at the woman’s straight forwardness. “Let me just tackle one thing at a time… I’m not ready to start thinking about babies,” he coughed. “He needs to learn to be who he wants to be first. There’s so much we both need to learn and…do you want something or can I toss both of your asses out?” he asked in a growl as Chris stuck his head in the door. “What?”

“Connie’s pal Vic is at the door.” Chris was frowning in a way that instantly put Jensen’s guard up, hand lying flat over Jared’s paw. “He’s not alone. There’s a…guy…with him…okay, there is a wolf with him that sends off Alpha waves like I haven’t felt in years despite looking like a bum and…he says it’s Jared’s father.”

**TBC**

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Lone Wolf**

**[](https://imgbb.com/)**

**Chapter Ten**

The announcement that Vic was downstairs with someone claiming to be Jared’s father had an immediate rush of possessive protectiveness surging to life inside Jensen Ackles. He wanted to go down and judge the man for himself, see if he smelled the same scent on this stranger as he did on Jared. If so, then he also wanted to give the bastard a piece of his mind for allowing his son to grow up alone and scared, but he held off, not wanting to leave Jared’s side just yet.

He told Chris to tell both men to hold off a few days because Jared was hurt, and he wasn’t dropping anything this shocking on him this soon.

Chad would later tell him that there were a few tense moments when this news was relayed but in the end, the stranger with Vic agreed to leave and come back in a few days.

It was another full day before Jared’s body shifted back to human and only after he’d woken Jensen up with light wolf kisses over his cheek that had the Alpha laughing as he did so. Then Jensen’s arms were full of his dimpled smiling mate who snuggled against him.

The silver bullet had just grazed Jared but because of the other wounds he was still recovering from, the young Omega was completely exhausted and seemed to be asleep as much as he was awake for the first two days. Marylese reassured Jensen that Jared’s fatigue was normal as he healed and that he shouldn’t worry. She was convinced that Jared would make a full recovery and that the stitches in his leg wouldn’t even leave a scar.

On the third day she came by to bring soup and other supplies, and she also reminded Jensen that the pack was still waiting to meet their new Alpha properly. She had mentioned this before, but Jensen had put it off until Jared was able to come with him even though his mate had argued that the meeting wasn’t about him. The pack wanted to greet their Alpha, not his Omega and a half-wolf one at that.

“You are _my_ Omega and _my_ mate. You are so much more than you give yourself credit for, sweetheart.” He gently framed Jared’s face between his palms before kissing him slowly. “I know what you’re afraid of, what they probably told you about life in a pack, but I swear those were lies and I’ll prove it.”

So on the afternoon of the third day, the two men entered the Elder hut, which was filled with nearly every wolf in the pack, young and old. Jensen saw familiar faces as well as strangers as he tried to ignore his nerves and focus on the moment.

The ceremony was old, even older than most of these elders probably, but Jensen was big with tradition even if he could never recall everything that went on. There were a few grumbles from Rolston supporters, but those were quickly silenced by a literal bark from the oldest man in the room.

“An Ackles founded our pack. There has been an Ackles as a pack Alpha since that founding and now there will be one again,” he intoned with a stern glare around the packed room. “If any wolf or human in this pack does not agree with that or will not follow our Alpha then you are welcome to find another pack…” He paused but the room was silent. “I thought so. Alpha Ackles,” he said, turning to look at Jensen solemnly, “We of this council who once turned you away as a pup ask for your forgiveness. You are indeed your father’s pup and will make this pack strong again as you also make your late father proud.”

Jensen wouldn’t deny that he had some leftover bitterness, but he would put it aside. He accepted he needed to grow up and maybe he needed to find himself just as he had found his mate.

“I will lead this pack with the same strength and dedication as my father before me and his father before him,” he nodded, accepting the intricately carved staff that signified his status as pack Alpha. He stared out at the eyes watching him for a long moment. “I also decree here and now that my mate will be treated as my equal, as my second, like my mother was to my father. Any disrespect shown to him is disrespect shown to me. While I might try to cope with disrespect shown to me – after all, I know I need to earn your respect – I will banish any wolf in this pack who looks down or gives Jared trouble.”

Before anyone could respond or Jared’s eyes could get any wider, a strong hand closed over his and gave a tug to bring the young Omega up beside Jensen.

“This is Jared. He is my mate and my world.” Jensen slipped his hand down to hold Jared’s and felt the boy shaking. He pulled Jared closer to him as eyes pinned them and whispers could be heard. “Yes, he is only half wolf and will need time and help as he learns what it means to live in a pack. He was raised…no, I won’t use that term because raising isn’t what your grandparents did.” He glanced next to him and lifted a lowered chin, holding scared eyes with a gentle smile before looking back out at the wolves of their new pack.

“He was kept by religious zealots who saw his existence as a sin. They killed his mother for daring to marry her mate who apparently was a wolf from the Padalecki pack. They marked him with binding sigils to hide his existence and block his shifts. Jared has only shifted twice, so he will make mistakes like all of our young do, but I’m hoping that Rolston didn’t ruin everything my family has instilled in this pack and that you all will give him time to learn, to grow.” Jensen eyed the room critically before bringing Jared closer to his side, fingers intentionally brushing over the mark on his neck, but he knew any wolf in the room could tell Jared belonged to him. “He wears my mark and before this year is up he will wear my ring. I’ll tell you now, if you choose to follow me, you choose to accept my mate. If you can’t do that, you need to leave.”

With that statement, Jensen was done. He tightened his hold on Jared’s hand and led him away, knowing that the pack needed time to process what he had said. The Elders would come to him later and reveal if the pack would choose to follow him; either way Jensen felt at peace with himself and his past for the first time in 15 years. Now he just wanted to get Jared alone and start to face their future.

“You’re family founded the pack?” Jared had been stunned to learn this. It certainly didn’t make him feel any less inferior to what he felt Jensen needed in a mate. “They will never accept some half-human Omega as your mate, Jen. I…I’m not good enough for…”

“You’re a Padalecki. Your bloodline is as long as your Alpha’s if not a little longer.”

The voice that spoke was deep, powerful and sure of himself; it sounded incongruous coming the tall man who was dressed in threadbare jeans, worn boots and a dirty old jacket.

Jensen’s protective side surfaced immediately. He felt the power of this Alpha and suspected who the man was even before he noticed Vic off to the side. He observed the wide shoulders and long dark brown hair that flowed past his shoulders, but it was the way Jared immediately stiffened at the strong scent of Alpha that had him stepping in front of the boy and staring into eyes so much like Jared’s, it was scary.

Jared first noticed the powerful scent was of Alpha and his fear surfaced automatically, but then slowly another scent filtered in making him frown slightly as it was almost familiar. Then he found himself pinned by his own eyes and felt something punch him in the gut.

“Do I…I know you?” he asked quietly, fingers curling with Jensen’s as if needing the strength and support. “I…I thought I saw you back when we were first going to see Vic but…you…you look like…” He brought his fingers up to touch his own jaw before staring at the man again. “Who…who are you?” he asked, wincing as the final remaining symbol on his stomach began to burn.

“I’m your father, Jared.”

It was almost a scene out of some movie Jared recalled seeing years ago. He used to wonder if he’d ever hear those words, but he had long since given up that dream. Now as he stared at a rough looking man who was at least two inches taller than he was, the young Omega wasn’t sure what to think or believe.

“My…” Jared stared, feeling Jensen reach back for him even as his legs buckled at a sudden sear across his stomach. “Jensen?”

“I’ve got you, Jay.” Jensen felt the pain, sensed the change and was whirling to catch his mate even as he was falling. He shot back a growl when he sensed movement but resisted the urge to snarl ‘mine’ and instead eyed Vic steadily. “I’m taking him back to the cabin. We’re not handling this in the middle of town in front of everyone, so if he really is Jared’s father, if he’s who you said might be able to help with this last symbol, then you bring him there but...” He paused and this time the ‘ _back the hell off what’s mine’_ vibe was freely given as he locked eyes with the other Alpha. “You keep your distance and you do not touch him until he gives his permission,” he growled, scooping Jared into his arms and heading toward the Jeep.

Vic shook his head while batting his friend’s arm. “I told you not to come on all Alpha, especially with Jensen around. You might have age and experience, but he’s got a white-hot temper and he’s in love with the kid. Trust me, he’ll tear your throat out if he feels like Jared’s scared or threatened so…let me smooth this over.”

“I wasn’t expecting to feel such a connection; it’s been almost 23 years” the other Alpha replied with a slow sigh, understanding where he’d made his mistake. “He’s got the Padalecki height and eyes but…his nose, the shape of his eyes, the exact color of his hair? Those are Caroline’s. It’s been so damn long that I’d nearly forgotten what my wife looked like, Vic.”

“Well, let’s go see if Jensen will let you close to your son, and for heaven’s sake, keep your damn temper when you see that mark I told you about,” Vic muttered sourly.

By the time the other two men caught up, Jensen had Jared settled on the rustic looking sofa in the cabin that had basically been given to them. He quickly built up a fire to take the chill off the place.

The pain had eased off once it was just the two of them, but Jared tensed at the sound of steps on the cabin porch. He had basically resigned himself to the fact that he was never going to know his father or learn about the other side of his family. Now he wasn’t sure what to think.

“Jensen?” He looked up as Jensen sat beside him after giving a not so friendly ‘come in’ shout to the door. “Is he?”

“I’m not sure. We’ll see what Vic has to say and then if you need more time or aren’t up to dealing with this, I’ll kick both of their asses out,” Jensen told him quietly, fingers gentle as they carded through Jared’s hair. He lifted his eyebrows curiously as Vic entered the room, followed closely by the tall stranger. “So? You told Chris this guy is Jared’s father. Yeah, there’s no doubting the resemblance, but you get why I’m a little wary?”

“Because you’re a hotheaded possessive Alpha?” Vic countered, sighing when he was hit in the side. “Fine, neither one of you has a sense of humor today I see. Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki meet Jackson Padalecki, my friend…and Jared’s father.”

Jared had rested his head on Jensen’s shoulder but he slowly lifted his eyes to look at the other Alphas in the room, noticing his father was staring at him. “Did you even look for us?” he asked suddenly.

Jensen, who’d been exchanging sharp words with Vic, went silent when Jared spoke and merely waited to see what the other Alpha would say.

Jack Padalecki had been in the process of gauging the protective Alpha with his arm around his son and looking at the still innocent face of a boy he hadn’t seen in nearly 23 years. His son’s question surprised them all.

When Vic had found him in some bar on the other end of the reservation, which is where he spent the biggest part of his days, he had basically been an empty shell. His entire life had collapsed around him the day he was told his family was dead.

“I…” He heard the hurt as well as some underlying anger in the soft voice. He carefully sat in a chair across from the sofa and looked at his hand, which still carried a wedding band. “If I had thought you and your Mom were alive, nothing short of my own death would’ve kept me from looking and finding you, Jared, but…I was told you’d both died in a fire.”

Running a nervous hand through long shaggy hair, he blew out a breath and shifted his attention to Jensen. “I met Caroline, that’s Jared’s mother, when she was waiting tables at a diner in a town near where my pack resided. She was beautiful, smart, funny and very obviously my mate. I think I packed on a good 15 pounds in the month I courted her because I visited that diner every damn day.” He chuckled sadly. “It took me some time to convince a human girl that she was the true life mate of a wolf…but by the end of six months we were married and nine months later you came into our lives.” He glanced back to Jared.

“My pack…a lot of them didn’t approve of me mating with a human because it was unheard of in our pack. Literally, no one had done it before and I was a Padalecki, a descendent of the founding family. People thought I was crazy…or just being rebellious…to mate with someone who wasn’t a wolf but I knew she was meant to be mine and didn’t give a crap what my pack felt. My parents were…distant but finally they backed me up…or at least I thought so at the time.” Jack took a battered photo out of his pocket and stared at it for several moments before holding it out to the boy. He wasn’t surprised when his son made no move to reach for it, but slowly Jensen did. “Because I’d broken a lot of rules and made some waves, it was hard to make a living in the area, so I had to take some logging jobs away from home. I was away from you and your Mom a lot, more than I wanted to be, but I was determined to support my family without crawling to my parents.

“A few of my distant relatives offered to help me…if it was just you with me. Even though you were born human, not in wolf form like most wolf pups, they still accepted you as part of our pack, but they refused to help as long as Caroline was with me.” Jack shook his head, remembering the fights he’d had with his family over his wife and child. “I refused to leave or abandon my wife so I worked away from you. She’d told me all about her family, how crazy they were, but neither she nor I thought they’d ever track her down. I never considered them a threat…apparently I was wrong. Even after I got back to find our home burned to the ground, I didn’t think anything more than what I was told…the house had caught on fire and you and Caroline didn’t make it out. I didn’t think I’d survive getting that news. It wasn’t until Vic told me about you that I realized how blindly stupid I’d been. Not only was her family involved, but I know my own family must have been part of it, too.”

Jared glanced at the photo before swallowing back his tears. “This…this is the same picture Momma had. They wouldn’t let me have when they kicked me out,” he whispered, looking up at Jensen. “This is…was my Momma.”

The love and loss was still plain in Jared’s voice and Jensen could feel the pain of the memories his mate still had from that horrible day when he watched her die. “She’s beautiful, Jay,” he murmured, bringing Jared closer against him while eyeing the older wolf. “So you were told they died?”

“When I got back, the embers were cold. My brother told me the house had caught fire due to a spark from the fire and a gas leak from the kitchen.” Jack watched his son’s face as he stared at the photo, reading the loss and confusion there so clearly. “I was broken. My family, my pack told me the fire had raged so quickly that no one could get in to save my family…and I believed them. I believed my family when they showed me two graves. After that I was broken and lost.” He touched the band on his finger before looking up to meet wet hazel eyes. “When a wolf loses his true and destined life mate, when that bond is severed, we often lose the will to go on. Something kept me from ending my life…perhaps I should’ve realized that maybe there was more going on then I’d been told, but…I lost myself to a bottle, Jared.

“For the last 23 years I’ve traveled this country looking for something, but mostly I did it in a fog of alcohol and despair. I didn’t know Caroline’s last name or anything about her kin because she was scared to speak of them so I couldn’t even go to where they lived. But if I had known the lies, if I had known that you two weren’t dead, that she was forced to leave, then I would’ve torn people and places apart until I had my family back.” He slowly moved until he sat on the coffee table in front of the sofa but made no move to reach out yet. “Vic told me about the binding sigils and other marks you had. I am so sorry that you suffered through that or…your Mom’s death. I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner, Jared.

“I know I can’t make up for the last 23 years or the pain you’ve suffered or for how you were treated by so many people, but if I can at least help this last mark go away or lessen it, then I would like to try…if you’d let me see it?” Jack sensed the boy’s hesitance and didn’t blame him.

“If…if you had known I was alive and that they lied to you…would you really have tried to find me?” Jared needed to ask. “Would you have wanted me without Momma? Would it have mattered that I wasn’t full blooded wolf or…that it was cause of me they killed her or…”

Jensen’s arm tightened when he felt the rush of emotions in Jared start to break free. “Jay, shhh, it’s okay. None of that was your fault and no one blames you for it,” he murmured softly, pressing a kiss against soft hair while locking eyes with Jack. “Do you?”

“No. Of course I don’t blame you for any of that and yes, I would’ve come for you if I had known…you’re my son,” Jack replied firmly, slowly stretching a hand out; he didn’t try to touch the shaking young Omega yet even though he thought his son’s mate might allow it. “Do you remember your Mom, Jared?” he asked while noticing nervous fingers moving as if considering reaching out, but he could tell the boy was still unsure of him.

“I…I remember her telling me stories and telling me not to be scared of who I was cause I wasn’t evil.” Jared looked at the photo again before holding it back out. “She was taking me away to live someplace with trees and woods cause I liked them but…they killed her. They killed Momma cause of me and I…I couldn’t stop ‘em and…”

Jared’s voice broke suddenly, tears coming before he was expecting them. He turned to bury his face against Jensen’s neck, letting Jensen’s deep husky voice calm him when he felt a hand that was not his mate’s carefully lay on his leg. “Huh?”

“Son, your Momma loved you. You were her world so I can tell you that she would’ve willingly given her life if she thought she was keeping you safe.” Jack gave the shaking leg an awkward pat and began to move his hand back only to feel it grabbed. “Jared?”

Jared still wasn’t sure about trusting this man, but he didn’t feel scared of him, just unsure of how he’d be taken given how others had treated him in the past.

In addition to Jensen’s soothing voice in his ear and head, Jared had also started listening to his father’s deeper tone as well as his words. Slowly he began to calm down to the point where he reached out when he felt his father’s hand start to pull back.

He looked at him and then the photo, biting his lip. “Would you…let Jensen copy this so I can have one?” he asked quietly, going on quickly. “When my…when they kicked me out after I turned 18, they wouldn’t give me anything that was still left of Momma’s and I’d like to have something if…if you wouldn’t mind.”

“No, I don’t mind, son,” Jack assured him, sensing that his son had opened the door of acceptance. “Can I see that mark?”

Jared glanced over to see Jensen nodding so he slowly lifted his shirt only to frown a little. Jensen also made a soft sound, noticing that the mark didn’t even look as bad as it had that morning. “Wow – it’s already starting to fade.”

“Of course it is…you met Jack.” Vic had approached only after he was certain Jensen wouldn’t growl at him. “Just like those other sigils began to leave after you and Jensen did…things.” He coughed at the dark look that earned him. “And this one faded after your first shift…this last one, the one that blocked your scent from Jack or his pack…if they had searched for you, is beginning to lessen because you’ve met your father and are starting to believe that if he had known you and your Mom weren’t killed, he would’ve looked for you.”

“Did they tell you I wouldn’t have?” Jack Padalecki wondered if maybe he needed to visit these people who had raised his son.

Jared chewed his lip before nodding, tensing briefly when a rough calloused hand touched the mark on his stomach; he felt it burn but only for a moment. “They said you didn’t really love Momma or me, that you weren’t working all those times you were gone, but living with your other family cause…wolves kept multiple mates to…Jen? Are you gritting your teeth?”

“Yeah, but just ignore me. I’m just going to imagine a painful horrible end to those bastards.” He wrapped his arm around Jared more firmly when the younger man leaned against his chest as Vic reached into his ever-present pack to pull out a jar. “Hey! The last time I let you close to him with anything, it didn’t turn out well. What is that? Will it knock him out again?” he demanded.

“You knocked my son out?” Jack turned to glare at his friend. “You didn’t tell me that.”

“It was better than having him conscious through the process of starting to lessen those other marks, so yeah, I knocked him out.” Vic rolled his eyes while holding the jar. “This is just some salve to help that one and any others finish healing…and yeah, I guess Jensen can put it on him later since I don’t feel like having my arm bitten off literally right now.”

Jensen sniffed the jar and was glad it didn’t smell like the other stuff had; in fact, it really didn’t smell bad at all. He was about to say something else to Vic when he felt Jared’s thoughts getting drowsy, and he knew his mate had had enough for today. “I know you probably want to spend time with him, get to know Jared but…he’s been through a lot lately and he’s still recovering from it all,” he began in what he thought was his best reasonable tone. “There is a little B&B in town that has rooms so you can maybe check in there and then spend some more time with Jared…starting tomorrow?”

“That your polite way of telling us to get the hell out and leave you alone with my boy, Alpha Ackles?” Jack hadn’t been sure at first about what he thought of his son’s mate but he’d listened to Vic, he’d been lectured by Connie, and now he could see them together.

He watched the protective way Jensen held Jared; he’d seen him touch his hair or face in little intimate ways that spoke of love over possession. Jack had also seen the way his son turned into the Alpha without even realizing it and he knew that it was more than just an Omega’s nature; the wolf and Padalecki parts of his son would make him one mule-headed Omega.

“Your son. My mate,” Jensen returned evenly, fingers carding back through Jared’s hair when he looked down into sleepy eyes to smile softly. “He’s tired, so yeah, this is me telling you to take Vic and get the hell out so Jared can go to sleep and…” He cut off when he picked up a thought he was thankful only he could hear and it took him a moment to find his voice again. “…come back tomorrow or Jay can come to you since I’m sure I’ll have pack stuff to deal with.”

Jack gazed at his half asleep son for a moment before standing to extend a hand to Jensen. “Thank you for finding him and for loving him like you obviously do.” He felt the strength in the grip of the hand and knew his boy was in the right hands after so long without anyone to care for him. “I think his mother would like you so I’ll give it a try.”

Vic dragged him out with a growl and a mutter about stubborn wolves, pulling the door shut behind him and leaving the couple alone.

“You’re not as sleepy as you seemed, are you?” Jensen spoke the moment they were alone, laughing when Jared suddenly turned in his arms to kiss him with a blush on his cheeks at being caught in what he thought was a good attempt at a lie. “Thinking about me taking you upstairs and making love with you really didn’t help when I was trying to get your dad out of the house…but you knew that too, didn’t you Jay?”

“I felt how tense you were getting with them here, and it’s not that I didn’t want to maybe talk to him more about stuff, but…I really was getting tired,” Jared admitted, resting his head under Jensen’s jaw while laying his hand flat over his heart. “Did you mean all that stuff you said back there, Jen?” he asked through a yawn that wasn’t faked. “About me?”

“Yeah, of course I did.” Jensen smiled, watching Jared’s eyes shimmer with a happiness he hoped to put there more often. “Jay, I’m not gonna promise the next few months will be easy since adjusting back into pack life will be difficult for me; it’s going to be even harder for you since you’ve never had a pack before, but we will get through it and…we’re not locked here. If you want to go see Connie, or even go back to school to finish college, you can. There’s a good community college close to here or we can find a four-year school.”

Jared pushed until he was sitting up so he could actually turn on the sofa to stare at his mate as if stunned. “I can finish college? Seriously?” he asked, totally not expecting that. “You’d let…mhmm,” he groaned into the kiss that cut those words off.

“I told you before that being my Omega, my mate, does not make you my slave, Jared.” Jensen broke the kiss but didn’t pull back; he stayed close enough so his lips were able to brush over Jared’s as they began to kiss lightly, tongues playing. “Lots of Omegas go to school after mating. You can if you want. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want and as long as you’re safe and happy I’ll be good with it.”

Returning each kiss with more confidence, Jared considered something. “Make love with me, Jensen?” he asked quietly, shakily, with his nerves showing. “I…I want to feel you knot me when I’m not in heat and so desperately needing it. I want to feel you.”

“So much for being tired,” Jensen chuckled into the heated kiss he returned, fingers catching a handful of long dark hair to pull Jared’s head back to see those blue and gold flecked hazel eyes were already darkening. “You sure you feel up to…okay! I guess you feel strong enough.”

His mate never failed to amaze him with how quickly he could go from shy and unsure to demanding and determined to get what he wanted. Jensen knew their life together would be very interesting given that most Omegas, especially in bed, were expected to be demure and accepting.

Because their first time had been during Jared’s heat, Jensen had thought the boy’s more outgoing side had just the heat talking. Now as he felt long fingers trying to work his jeans open while also working on his own, he realized Jared’s wolf side actually could be very demanding.

“I love that you want to take care of me and that you’re not like most Alphas who are just looking for a fast knot and fuck, but I seriously want to feel you tomorrow, Jen.” Jared gasped as his hair was yanked with a bit more force and he could see bright green darkening quickly. “I want to make love with you when I’m not burning up from my heat so I can actually enjoy it. Unless…” A sudden burst of doubt had Jared’s chin dropping and Jensen’s eyes narrowing.

“Upstairs,” Jensen growled while raking his teeth over Jared’s jaw. “Don’t ever think I don’t want you, Jared. All of me wants you, but because you’re basically innocent, because you weren’t brought up correctly, because you taught certain things, I was trying to go slow, to give you time to get used to me but…I’ll never not make love to you.”

Jared’s smile was bright and then they were lost in a series of heated kisses. Jared wasn’t aware of even moving from the sofa downstairs or getting up the steps to the bedroom or losing his shirt, boots and socks, but suddenly he landed on the bed with a laugh.

He arched up into the hard body that settled over him, straddling his legs while strong hands caught and pinned his above his head. Jared had a brief moment to recall a time when he would’ve been terrified to be in a position like this, but this time, with Jensen, he knew he would be safe and taken care of.

“This works better if we’re both naked doesn’t it?” he asked breathlessly, seeing his mate’s lips curve in a slow sinful smile as Jensen adjusted his grip to free one hand, which flipped the snap on Jared’s jeans open.

“Patience, little wolf,” Jensen replied in a deeper voice that instantly had Jared’s blood on fire, but it also had him relaxing more when it should’ve been the opposite. “This time there’s no heat, no burning cravings stirring your blood, so that means I can take my time and show you how this should be between us.” He slid his fingers up Jared’s stomach and felt him shiver from the touch. “This time I plan to make you scream for me and you will come on my cock and my knot alone.”

“I’m gonna come before that if you don’t hurry up,” Jared muttered, meeting each of Jensen’s kisses fully, but he began to twist his trapped wrists restlessly as his mate moved even more slowly. “Jensen…”

Jensen’s laugh was deep and full at the frustrated boyish whine that came as he proceeded to lick and tease his way from collarbone to belly button. “Bossy, Jay,” he murmured while blowing warm air over hot skin, tip of his tongue dipping into what proved to be a very sensitive spot on his mate as Jared’s body bucked with a shout. “And you’re all mine.”

“Yours,” Jared agreed. “Always?”

“For as long as I’m alive, sweetheart,” Jensen promised thickly, releasing Jared’s hands so he’d have both hands free to remove the squirming Omega’s jeans and underwear. “Nothing and no one will ever separate us. I promised you that and I’ll keep that promise.”

Jensen, as Jared learned, was excellent at keeping promises because he also kept the one about going slowly and making him scream.

The kisses started out slow, light and almost playful as the Alpha began to make love to his Omega. By the time Jensen kissed, licked, and occasionally bit his way down from ear to foot Jared was a quivering, begging mess.

The wolf inside him wanted more, it wanted fast, but the one time it reared its head, a low warning growl reminded him that Jensen was his Alpha, and that there was a limit to what he would take. Jared managed to rein in his impatience, but only barely.

He could feel his body’s natural ability to lubricate itself working when he was finally urged to roll over and Jared still felt the urge to blush at the feel of the slickness on his thighs. “Jen, I…”

“Hush,” Jensen whispered as he felt the boy’s shyness. “Don’t ever be embarrassed by what is natural for your body, Jared. Trust me. Soon that and everything you feel when we make love will feel so normal for you…except when you’re in heat.” The Alpha chuckled a bit. “And then nothing’s normal.”

“Shut up,” Jared snorted, feeling Jensen’s hands smoothing over his body before a slick finger slipped inside him to test how loose he was. “I thought my body was supposed to automatically be ready to accept you. That’s what I was taught in school.”

Jensen still hated some of those classes and how ill-prepared they made Omegas for actual sex. “Your body has a natural lubricant as you can feel, and it does loosen you quite a bit, but not all the way. I want to make sure you can take my cock and then the knot without any pain at all, so…for the first few times we do this I’ll prep you myself to be sure you’re ready for me,” he explained and adored the quiet thoughts he felt sent back at him as he leaned forward to kiss Jared’s neck, lips smoothing over the still visible claiming mark. “Relax for me now, Jay.”

It wasn’t easy, but Jared managed to do that once he learned to think past what he wanted and began to listen to his mate’s heart as well as his voice as he talked him through what he was doing.

“I think you could make me come using just that voice,” Jared suddenly groaned, lying on his belly with his hips propped on pillows so he couldn’t cheat and rub his already hard and dripping cock on the bed. “Jen, I’m not kidding about coming on just that tone if you don’t…ohhhh!” His eyes nearly rolled back in his head at the feel of the mushroom tipped head of his mate’s cock finally giving a gentle shove into his well stretched and dripping hole. “Jensen!”

“Yeah, but it’s too soon for you to be screaming for me, babe,” Jensen teased, keeping a hand on the back of Jared’s neck to urge him to stay still for a moment while he worked on going flush with the Omega’s well rounded ass. “Trust me, by the time we’re done and I let you come, it will put you on your ass.”

“Cocky much?” Jared looked back with a smile, gasping as his mouth was met in a hot kiss as Jensen’s tongue plunge in to play and claim.

“Nope, just honest.” Jensen licked over swollen lips, drawing the bottom on between his teeth just to hear the sounds his mate made when he did it. Then he gave one final thrust that took him flush and right where he knew Jared needed him to be.

Jared was a vocal and very physical lover. He needed to make noise, but he also seemed to need the physical connection of touch, any touch, when they made love, and that was something Jensen was fine with providing.

When Jensen’s cock started hitting his prostate with each thrust, and Jared’s body began to meet him in perfect time, the young Omega could’ve sworn that even their hearts started beating in sync. Jared wasn’t certain what the hell he was saying, and he really didn’t care by that point. He just wanted to feel his mate and also to find relief for his cock and the need he felt building.

“Jen!” he gasped, fingers digging into the covers in reflex when suddenly he was pulled back so his back touched Jensen’s chest; his mate bearing the extra weight while still managing to hit that spot inside him with each thrust. “Oh my God!”

Jared mind went blank as slowly he felt Jensen’s knot slip past his rim; he lost what little control he had managed to maintain between the feel of his mate’s knot popping into place and a solid hit on his prostate. Just as Jensen had promised, Jared came with a scream of his Alpha’s name and with no touch on his very ready and leaking cock. “ _Jensen_!”

“That’s my boy.” Jensen’s voice was low and deep, pure sex and sin, as one arm wrapped around his mate’s chest to feel the beat of his heart while slowly his other hand moved down to wrap around Jared’s cock to help milk the boy’s orgasm.

Jensen wanted to give Jared the time to enjoy his climax before taking his own, but as he felt tight, hot, inner muscles clamp down on his cock, the Alpha lost the battle. He came hard and fast with a low growl, teeth carefully biting over the marks he’d already left, hard enough to bruise but not break skin. “Mine,” he growled against the boy’s throat, tasting Jared and, for the first time, really scenting his mate, without the buffers or blocks from the binding symbols that had plagued the Omega. “I love you, Jay.”

Jared’s head fell back with a moan as he felt warmth filling him and knew Jensen had come. He shuddered at the sudden explosion of closeness he felt this time as they shared something that Jared had once thought he’d never share with anyone, or at least not with anyone that he loved like he loved Jensen.

“Yours,” he agreed with a sigh, turning his head to meet the sudden slow and gentle kiss that caught his lips; hips tried to thrust forward into the strong fingers stroking his cock until he whimpered as the knot in his ass kept him still. “Love you too, Jen.”

Jensen felt when his touch became too much even before he heard a soft whimper of pain as Jared’s cock became too sensitive to touch. He released it, and gently lowered them down on the bed, turning until he had Jared on his side. He was glad he could reach the blanket to pull over them since he wasn’t sure how long it would be before his knot deflated enough to pull out…not that it mattered to the boy who snuggled sleepily back into his arms with his hands reaching to hold Jensen’s.

“…sleepy, Jen,” Jared mumbled, body and mind sated from sex. He was looking forward to sleeping with his mate, feeling content and safe with Jensen behind him. He knew the knot would lock them together for the next hour or so. “Hold me until I wake up?” he asked quietly, smiling sleepily at the feel of warm lips softly kissing the back of his neck while a hand held one of his while the other carded through his sweat soaked hair.

“I’ll always hold you until you wake up, Jay,” Jensen promised him, feeling Jared’s heartbeat matching his own as their bodies cooled and both men felt sleep call them. “I swear to you now, that you will fall asleep with me and you will wake up with me for the rest of your life and beyond cause even death won’t break us up.”

Jared’s smile stayed on his face while he fell to sleep, drawing the hand Jensen was holding up closer until it was tucked under his chin like a sleeping child might snuggle with a teddy bear. Soon the Alpha felt his mate’s breathing even off into a full deep sleep.

“Jay?” he whispered, smiling as he felt that Jared’s thoughts were also peaceful, and he slowly let his own eyes close with the feel of Jared’s boyish dreams mixing with his own as Jared dreamed of their life together without the fear and pain that he’d known most of this life. “I will give you that life, sweetheart. I will prove that you can have everything you want and so much more.”

As Jensen fell to sleep, he made himself the promise that he would give Jared everything he never had growing up and more, starting with a pack that accepted the young half-wolf fully and then perhaps one day a family of their own.

**The End**

 

 Original Art for Prompt:

[](https://ibb.co/iW9Y2v)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading.


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